PhD Student Positions (f/m/x) - Electron-Light Interaction in Silicon Photonic Nanostructures -

The selected PhD candidates will participate in the EU-funded HORIZON-MSCA-2025-DN project QUEST, combining network-wide training activities with excellent research opportunities at MPI-NAT. You will be expected to work on your project in close collaboration with fellow PhD students in QUEST and with the other members of the Department of Ultrafast Dynamics. Together, you will explore, experimentally and theoretically, novel custom photonic devices tailored for efficient interactions with electron beams and solid-state quantum systems. In particular, this includes assisting the design and optical coupling of photonic structures, performing extended experiments in an electron microscope and complementing the results with numerical simulations. You are expected to communicate your results in the form of scientific publications and presentations at international conferences.

As part of the GAUSS PhD program at the University of Göttingen, you will complete several PhD courses and participate in teaching as a teaching assistant. You will also attend regular meetings with other PhD students and partners in the doctoral network, including two training schools and two workshops.

The duration of the stay in Göttingen (Germany) and the two secondments vary by project as follows: Project 1 is set to last a total of 36 months, which includes two 2-month secondments each to Copenhagen (Denmark) and Göttingen (Germany). Project 2 includes a 32-month stay in Göttingen and two 2-month secondments each to Copenhagen (Denmark) and Dresden (Germany), so that this project is also scheduled to last a total of 36 months. For the respective secondments, you are expected to relocate to the project partners.

The ideal candidates for the positions are highly motivated and talented researcher holding a Master’s degree (MSc or equivalent) in physics, chemistry, or engineering, with an excellent academic record and preferably demonstrated scientific achievements. We are interested in working with candidates who are team-minded, reliable, self-driven and have demonstrated excellence in electron microscopy, nano-optics, integrated photonics or quantum optics during their Master's thesis (or equivalent). Other qualities of the successful candidates:

The positions are subject to the mobility and eligibility rules of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. In particular, the candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than twelve months during the three years immediately prior to the recruitment date, unless as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention. At the date of recruitment, the candidates must be a Doctoral Candidate, i.e. in the first five years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research career and must not have been awarded a doctoral degree.

The successful candidates will receive a salary in accordance with the MSCA regulations for Doctoral Researchers. The salary includes a living allowance, a mobility allowance, and a family allowance (if applicable). The PhD funding is for 36 months. The two PhD positions are full-time with a 39-hour workweek and will start on 01/01/2027 or according to mutual agreement.

We are committed to being a cosmopolitan institute that offers a diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities. We also aim to increase the number of employees with disabilities. We welcome applications from all backgrounds.

For further information please go to the following website: https://www.mpinat.mpg.de/5330246/26-26