PhD Position in Experimental Quantum Magnetism. Microwave Spectroscopy of Rare-Earth Magnets

EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

PhD Position in Experimental Quantum Magnetism. Microwave Spectroscopy of Rare-Earth Magnets

Mission

At the Laboratory for Quantum Magnetism (LQM) we perform fundamental research in magnetism and correlated electron materials. Our core activities span from synthesis of novel materials over in-house experimental techniques in combination with low temperature, high pressures and high magnetic fields, neutron and X-ray scattering to theory and modeling. The LQM is part of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), a world-renowned research and education center, offering an ideal academic environment as well as an excellent connection to industry.

The available PhD position is centered around microwave spectroscopy of rare-earth quantum magnets, with a focus on entanglement between electronic and nuclear degrees of freedom, transitions between electro-nuclear states driven by external magnetic field, and how the occupancy of those states can be manipulated by external perturbations. Examples of published work can be found in Scientific Reports and Physical Review B. Alongside the above-mentioned experimental technique, our laboratory, and EPFL, offers state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment to facilitate the research. The project will be supervised by Prof. Henrik Rønnow and Dr. Ivica Živković.

Main duties and responsibilities

As a PhD Student, you will be expected to:

• Take responsibility for the development and completion of your doctoral research project
• Make regular visits to large-scale facilities for Neutron, X-ray and Muon-based experiments.
• Experiment design and execution
• Analyze and interpret experimental results
• Write scientific articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Present at international conferences
• Supervise student projects and basic administrative support
• Contribute to teaching

Profile

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a Master’s degree in Physics or a related field. The successful candidate should have a strong background in solid-state physics and quantum mechanics, excellent communication skills in English (spoken and written), and a willingness to learn and engage in challenging research.

We offer

• A challenging and exciting PhD project in experimental quantum magnetism, supervised by Dr. Ivica Živković and Prof. Henrik M. Rønnow.
• Access to state-of-the-art experimental facilities for microwave spectroscopy of rare-earth quantum magnets.
• Opportunities to perform measurements under low-temperature and high-magnetic-field conditions.
• A stimulating and collaborative research environment within the Laboratory for Quantum Magnetism and the broader EPFL community.
• Opportunities to present your research at international conferences and develop collaborations within the quantum magnetism community.

Informations

We encourage applications from candidates of all genders and diverse cultural and personal backgrounds.

The selected PhD student will need to enroll in the physics program of the EPFL doctoral school. After one year of successful probation, the initial contract will be extended up to a total of four years. Doctoral school information and employment conditions at EPFL are described at: