PhD Position Candidate in Optomechanics and Space Missions

16 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

Research Field

Technology

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Netherlands

Application Deadline

29 Mar 2024 - 22:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Hours Per Week

38.0

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

PhD Researcher will be helping to lead a €2.2 million project on ultra-thin photonic crystal sails for next-generation space travel -- the project is in collaboration with the Breakthrough Prize Foundation. Our lab is currently working at the cutting edge of nanotechnology, nanophotonics, applied physics and space travel by developing ultra-light sails which are unlike any material found in nature or made in science to date.

In 2016 Breakthrough Prize Foundation announced a $100 million initiative to realize microchip satellite for unmanned interstellar travel. By attaching these microchips to low-mass sails which are meters large and only nanometers thick, these satellites could be accelerated to ultra-fast speeds with lasers. This type of sail material would allow us to shorten times to Alpha Centauri, our nearest star, from 10,000 years to only 20 years – completely changing humanity’s reach within the universe. These unique capabilities that novel sail materials could open, but it’s also recognized by leading experts around the world that the largest challenge will be developing the lightsail. Why is that? Well, if one looks at the microchip, it need to be made smaller in x, y and z – which is in line with the conventional miniaturization we’ve been doing over the last half century. But the lightsails stand as a unique challenge because it's the only nanoscale components which needs to be expanded to meter scales. Our lab has been pioneering metamaterials with extreme aspect ratio putting us in a unique position to bring this technology within reach.

At the TU Delft, Netherlands, we can design and produce these suspended structures at the centimeter-scale for the first time. EARS will push the limits of nanotechnology further with world-class experimental system. This system will allow us to allow us to overcome conventional obstacles in this nanotechnology and open a new regime of light-matter interaction. While optical levitation won the 2018 Nobel Prize for revolutionizing physics and engineering, it has so far been limited to the nanoscale objects. The lightsail materials I’m proposing in EARS will allow us perform the 1st optical levitation microstructures that are 100,000x more massive than anything levitated with coherent light to date. Photonic crystals sails will make this possible, and will push the boundaries of material science, nanophotonic design and structural engineering.

Requirements
Specific Requirements

Strongly Required:

• background in Experimental Physics, Engineering, Material Science, or Photonics
• experience with optical measurements
• excellent scientific communication skills
• interest in space science and exploration
• experience with FDTD simulations

Beneficial to have:

• experience with nanotechnology & nanofabrication
• strong writing & presentation skills
• enthusiasm for travel (California, etc.)

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements .

Additional Information
Benefits

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service . This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Selection process

A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.

Additional comments

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Richard Norte, [email protected] .

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before 30 March 2024 via the application button and upload your motivation and CV.

For information about the application procedure, please contact our HR advisor Linda Verhaar, [email protected] .

Please note:
- You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
- Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

Website for additional job details

https://www.academictransfer.com/339100/

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Delft University of Technology

Country

Netherlands

City

Delft

Postal Code

2628 CD

Street

Mekelweg 2

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.academictransfer.com/en/339100/phd-position-candidate-in-optomechan…

Contact

City

Delft

Website

http://www.tudelft.nl/

Street

Mekelweg 2

Postal Code

2628 CD

STATUS: EXPIRED