Research Associate/Fellow (Fixed term)

Reference: SCI256922

Closing Date: Thursday, 21st July 2022

Job Type: Research

Department: Physics & Astronomy

Salary: £27924 to £36382 per annum (pro rata if applicable) depending on skills and experience (minimum £31406 with relevant PhD).

Applications are invited for an ambitious Postdoctoral Research Associate/fellow to work on the development of new optical memristor devices. Memristor (or resistive memory) is a form of non-volatile memory that is seen as a potential candidate for the replacement of Flash and SDRAM memory. However, it is their ability to emulate the memory and learning properties of biological synapses and their potential to produce a new generation of ultra-high performance artificial intelligent devices that has ignited researchers’ interest in these remarkable devices. The aim of this position is to explore and develop new types of memristors that can be switched both optically and electronically, therefore opening the route to new applications in computer vision.

The position will be based in the School of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Nottingham which has a thriving research culture of both experimental and theoretical groups across a broad spectrum of physics topics including condensed matter physics and nanoscience. Academics within the department are highly regarded for their excellence in research and teaching. They have a history of securing funding from research council sources and working with industry on a wide range of national and international projects.

The researcher will be positioned within the Kemp Nano Electronics group (https://kempnanogroup.com/ ), which is focussed on investigating new phenomena in nanophysics and electronics for real-word device applications. Our areas of interest include optically tuneable memristors for photonic computing and new artificial intelligence technologies, molecular spintronics and nanoscale engineering of novel device structures for plasmonics and biosensor applications. This group is part of the Experimental Condensed Matter and Nanoscience research grouping.

You will have a PhD (or nearing completion) in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Materials Science or Electrical Engineering and will have experience in fabricating solid-state nanoscale devices. You will be familiar working in a cleanroom, fabricating devices using vacuum deposition methods (sputtering, metal evaporation) and characterising the electronic and switching properties of devices by both optical and electronic means. Knowledge of memristors and non-volatile memory is desirable as well as low temperature electronic transport methods.  

This role is a fixed term appointment starting 1st Sept 2022 or as soon as possible and ends on 31/03/2025. Hours of work are full time (36.25 hours). Job share arrangements may be considered.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr Neil Kemp (email: [email protected] ) Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

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