Doctoral Researcher in Thermal Nanosciences

Are you interested in joining the research on two-dimensional materials for heat management at the microscale, and in getting the hands-on experience in fabrication and optical characterization techniques?

The Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering invites applications for
Doctoral Researcher position in Thermal Nanosciences

Your role and goals

We are looking for a doctoral researcher (Ph.D. student) for a project investigating the thermal properties of nanomaterials via optical characterization methods.

Understanding heat flow in the nanoscale is getting crucially more important as the size of electronic and photonic devices is getting smaller and smaller, as the amount of waste heat produced has an enormous impact on both device performance and energy efficiency. At the same time, the measurement of thermal properties of nanoscale structures is challenging and requires sophisticated instrumentation.

We are currently developing a time-domain thermoreflectance system, in which ultrafast laser pulses are used for probing the thermal properties of materials with nanoscale features. In this task, you will participate in experimental work on the development of said measurement setup and related measurements, and will perform dry-transfer fabrication of multilayer stacks of 2D materials. The ultimate goal of the position is in engineering the thermal properties of 2D material heterostructures. Prior knowledge of optics and solid-state physics is considered as an advantage.

Research group

This research position will be supported by the Micro and Quantum Systems group (MQS) , which is led by Professor Ilkka Tittonen . The group focuses mainly on the study of various nanofabrication methods, thermal properties of nanomaterials, and optical characterization techniques. The group belongs to the Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering at the School of Electrical Engineering, and is located in the Micronova Nanofabrication Center (address: Tietotie 3, 02150 Espoo), the largest academic clean room facility in the Northern Europe.

Your experience, skills and ambitions

• Master’s degree in physics, nanotechnology, electrical engineering, or related topics is favourable for the position

• Working proficiency in English is required but Finnish/Swedish language is not required

• In this position you will apply for the study right for doctoral studies at Aalto University

• previous experience with optical measurements or with cleanroom nanofabrication is not required, but is considered a benefit

What we offer
The Doctoral Researcher position will be filled for 1-4 years. The expected starting salary is approximately 2600€/month, and will increase according to the performance over time.  As an employer, Aalto University provides excellent learning and development opportunities as well as occupational health care services, commuter ticket benefit and versatile exercise services by Unisport. The contract includes occupational health benefits and Finland has a comprehensive social security system.

Ready to apply?

If you would like to be considered for the position, please submit your application through our recruitment system by using the “Apply" link.

Please send us your application by 31 December 2022.

To apply, please share the following application materials with us:

• CV (including list of publications if any)

• Motivation letter including a brief description of your research interests (1 page max.)

• Course transcripts of Master’s studies with grades

The position may be filled immediately when a suitable person is found. Aalto University reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.

Please note: Aalto University’s employees and visitors should apply for the position via our internal system Workday -> find jobs (not external aalto.fi webpage on open positions) by using their existing Workday user account. 

More information

For additional information about the position, please contact Professor Ilkka Tittonen, ([email protected] ), and in recruitment process related questions please contact HR Coordinator Riina Hiirikoski ([email protected]).

The School of Electrical Engineering is located at the Aalto University Otaniemi campus in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. As a living and work environment, Finland consistently ranks high in quality-of-life. For more information about living in Finland please visit our information pages for international staff .

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Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 12 000 students, 400 professors and close to 4 000 other faculty and staff working on our dynamic campus in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland. Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

The School of Electrical Engineering promotes high-quality science, technology and innovations for the benefit of the Finnish society and all of humankind. In our research environment, the natural sciences, engineering and information technology intertwine to form smart systems and innovations that save energy and promote well-being. With our research, we seek to respond to many challenges posed by sustainable development and the results are applied, for example, in mobile devices, electrical networks, health care and in satellites. The school’s special strength is linking the research with the Finnish and international business sector. We have around 2000 students in total, and around 250 master’s and 50 doctoral degrees annually. Our personnel consists of 700 people with over 70 professors.

The Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering within The School of Electrical Engineering conducts research and arranges related courses in the fields of electromagnetics, micro and nanotechnology, radio engineering, and space technology. The department research groups have active national and international collaboration with several institutes and companies. Research groups are working with world-class research facilities and instruments; the largest clean rooms in the Nordic countries are located in the Micro- and nanotechnology centre Micronova.

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