About the program
Research Germanene, the germanium analogue of graphene, shares many properties with its carbon counterpart graphene. In contrast to graphene, germanene does not occur in nature and therefore this two-dimensional material has to be synthesized. In 2014 various research groups, including the Physics of Interfaces and Nanomaterials group in Twente, have succeeded to grow germanene. The current project builds on these results and aims to study the quantum spin Hall effect in germanene. The quantum spin Hall effect (QSHE), a novel nontrivial topological quantum state of matter, has been proposed in 2005 by Kane and Mele for graphene. Due to the spin-orbit coupling a band gap opens in the interior of graphene, whereas the edges of graphene exhibit topologically protected gapless spin-polarized edges states. Unfortunately, the spin-orbit gap in graphene is very small (0.02 meV) and therefore the QSHE in graphene only occurs at extremely low temperatures. Germanene has a spin-orbit gap that is 3 orders of magnitude larger than graphene. This means that the QSHE of germanene would be observable at experimentally accessible temperatures.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The candidate will grow and study the structural and electronic properties of germanene using a variety of surface science technique, including low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and low energy electron microscopy. The experimental results will be compared with available theoretical calculations and predictions.
Location Physics of Interfaces and Nanomaterials (PIN) group
MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and Faculty of Science and Technology
University of Twente
P.O. Box 217
7500AE Enschede, The Netherlands
YOUR PROFILE
Requirements We are looking for talented, motivated and enthusiastic candidates with a MSc degree in physics or applied physics, preferably with a specialization in condensed matter physics. Excellent experimental skills and a good command of English are essential.
Contact For more detailed information, please contact Prof. dr ir Harold Zandvliet, email: h.j.w.zandvliet@utwente.nl, or visit our website.
Applications
Your application can be uploaded before 1 April 2017. Applications need to include a one-page motivation letter, a detailed CV (resume), a publication list, the contact details of at least 2 referees, and a list of B.Sc. and M.Sc. grades. Please provide us with your TOEFL or IELTS score, if available.
OUR OFFER
When fulfilling a PhD position at the FOM Foundation, you will get the status of junior scientist. You will have an employee status and can participate in all the employee benefits FOM offers. You will get a contract for four years. Your salary will be up to a maximum of 2,718 euro gross per month. The salary is supplemented with a holiday allowance of 8 percent and an end-of-year bonus of 8.33 percent. You are supposed to have a thesis finished at the end of your four year term with FOM. A training programme is part of the agreement. You and your supervisor will make up a plan for the additional education and supervising that you specifically need. This plan also defines which teaching activities you will be responsible (up to a maximum of ten percent of your time). The conditions of employment of the FOM Foundation are laid down in the Collective Labour Agreement for Research Centres (Cao-Onderzoekinstellingen), more exclusive information is available at this website under Personeelsinformatie (in Dutch) or under Personnel (in English). General information about working at FOM can be found in the English part of this website under Personnel. The 'FOM job interview code' applies to this position.
THE ORGANIZATION
The University of Twente. We stand for life sciences and technology. High tech and human touch. Education and research that matter. New technology which drives change, innovation and progress in society. The University of Twente is the only campus university in the Netherlands; divided over six faculties we provide more than fifty educational programmes. The University of Twente has a strong focus on personal development and talented researchers are given scope for carrying out pioneering research.
Within the TNW Faculty (Faculty of Science & Technology) of the University of Twente some 700 staff members and 2000 students are involved in training and research on the interface of chemical technology, applied physics and biomedical technology. Fields of application include sustainable energy, process technology and materials science, nanotechnology and technical medicine. Research, which enjoys a high profile both at home and internationally, has been accommodated in the multidisciplinary research institutes MESA+ and MIRA. The faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders.
For more information click "Further official information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.utwente.nl/en/organization/careers/vacancies/!/vacature/893623