PhD in the field of soft matter physics applied in robotics

31 Jan 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

University of Luxembourg

Research Field

Physics » Other

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Luxembourg

Application Deadline

27 Feb 2024 - 03:35 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The University | About us...

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character. The University was founded in 2003 and counts more than 6,700 students and more than 2,000 employees from around the world. The University's faculties and interdisciplinary centres focus on research in the areas of Computer Science and ICT Security, Materials Science, European and International Law, Finance and Financial Innovation, Education, Contemporary and Digital History. In addition, the University focuses on cross-disciplinary research in the areas of Data Modelling and Simulation as well as Health and System Biomedicine. Times Higher Education ranks the University of Luxembourg #3 worldwide for its "international outlook," #20 in the Young University Ranking 2021 and among the top 250 universities worldwide.

The Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) contributes multidisciplinary expertise in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences and Medicine. Through its dual mission of teaching and research, the FSTM seeks to generate and disseminate knowledge and train new generations of responsible citizens, in order to better understand, explain and advance society and environment we live in.

The University of Luxembourg (UL) invites applications for the following vacancy at the Faculty of Sci­ence, Technology and Medicine (FSTM), Department of Physics and Materials Science (DPhyMS), Experimental Soft Matter Physics (ESMP) group: Doctoral candidate (PhD student) in the field of soft matter physics applied in robotics.

Your Role...

You will be a member of the ESMP group at DPhyMS, FSTM, working under the supervision of the group leader Jan Lagerwall in close collaboration with the Automation & Robotics Research Group (ARG), led by Holger Voos, at the UL Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT). You will be refining our recent method for making Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Elastomer (CLCE) sheets and fibres, adding new shapes like hollow spheres and tori and integrating them in strain and force sensing set-ups based on the mechanochromic response of CLCEs, i.e., their colour changes predictably and reversibly in response to mechanical strain. You will then incorporate the sensors in soft robotic arms and grippers mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), enabling real-time monitoring of the oper­ation of the UAV as it manipulates objects using the arm/gripper. Your tasks range from preparation of CLCEs in unconventional shapes and large size, to the development of electronic set-ups (based on, e.g., Arduino or Raspberry Pi) for illuminating and optically monitoring each CLCE, to writing code (e.g. Python) for real-time translation of the optical signals into strain and force data to be sent to the robot. To achieve this and to integrate the sensors in the UAVs, you will be working in close collaboration with two PhD candidates from ARG. While being rooted in soft matter physics/chemistry and photonics, your part of the project thus branches into mechanical, computer and robotics engineering.

Activities

• Participate actively in the research project as described above.
• Write manuscripts for articles to be published in leading international scientific journals.
• Write a thesis in the domain of applied physics, with strongly interdisciplinary components.
• Contribute to interdisciplinary research intersecting materials physics and robotic engineering, as well as to teaching and public outreach activities.

What we expect from you…

This project calls for an open character with curiosity across discipline boundaries, combining the problem solving mindset of an engineer with a physicist's fascination for science and desire for in-depth understanding. If this is you, we warmly encourage you to apply even if you feel that you only partially meet the criteria in terms of background and expertise. We expect you to have some of the required background, and a motivation to acquire the missing parts during the first year of the project.

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in physics or materials science/engineering.
• Experience in quantitative research methods and practical work in physics/engineering labs.
• A genuine passion for scientific research and an awareness of the expectations on a Ph.D. candidate and on a Ph.D. thesis, including the need to show independence throughout the thesis work, the ability to write clearly and succinctly using your own words and illustrate with your own visuals, and to demonstrate an in-depth understanding at the thesis defence.
• Good knowledge and understanding of materials physics and continuum mechanics, including phase transitions, polarized light op­tics/photonics, as well as the stress-strain behaviour of rubbers. We consider knowledge in and experience of soft matter physics and chemistry, especially in polymers and liquid crystals, and/or of designing with and programming Arduino/Raspberry Pi, and/or robotics, as strong assets.
• Openness to interdisciplinary research and commitment to teamwork.
• Commitment and capacity to critical thinking and good research ethics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Offer...

• Diversity and inclusiveness are key values for the ESMP team and its culture.
• Dynamic, international and multicultural environment with high expectations and ambitions.
• You will experience real research, including the hard work, long hours and failures that it com­prises. With the right mindset you will learn from those failures, and you will find support in overcoming them, reaching unexpected results following unconventional paths. And you will then experience the immense joy of scientific success, celebrated within a supportive team.
• Personal work space and computer and access to all relevant labs at the University.

How to apply...

Applications should include:

• Motivation letter answering the following questions: why do you want to work for a Ph.D. de­gree, why at the University of Luxembourg, why in the Experimental Soft Matter Physics group, and why on this project?
• PDF version of your master thesis (file should be no larger than 20MB; compress images if necessary).
• Curriculum vitae.
• List of publications (if available).
• Digital copies of diplomas and complete course grade transcripts (B.Sc. and M.Sc.).

Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by email will not be considered.

The University of Luxembourg embraces inclusion and diversity as key values. We are fully committed to removing any discriminatory barrier related to gender, and not only, in recruitment and career progression of our staff.

Requirements
Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

University of Luxembourg

Country

Luxembourg

City

Luxembourg

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=UmVjcnVpdGluZy4xMjA3Ny45OTA4QHVuaXZlcnNpdHlvZmx1…

Contact

E-Mail

[email protected]

Phone

STATUS: EXPIRED