PhD student for High-ResolutionTime-Resolved Microstructural Evolution Under Ion Irradiation via TEM

ETH Zürich is one of the world’s leading universities, specializing in science and technology. It is renowned for its excellent education, its cutting-edge fundamental research and its efforts to put new knowledge and innovations directly into practice. The Laboratory of Metal Physics and Technology (LMPT), part of the Department of Materials at ETH Zürich, conducts research and teaching in areas ranging from basic science to technology, mostly in metal-related areas. It is led by Jörg F. Löffler and brings together physicists, materials scientists, chemists and biomedical engineers from across the world. It creates novel materials and explores emerging phenomena in metal physics and technology via detailed materials analysis and modeling.
The Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C) at the Jülich Research Center (FZ Jülich) hosts one of the world’s most advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) facilities. It houses an unparalleled collection of state-of-the-art instruments, which enable ultrahigh-resolution studies of materials and devices with unparalleled spatial, energy and temporal resolution.

Are you ready to dive into Materials Science?
We are looking for a PhD candidate to work at ER-C (Forschungszentrum Jülich) and LMPT (ETH Zürich) to investigate high-resolution, real-time microstructural evolution in materials under ion irradiation and thus to understand in detail the performance of materials in e.g. future fusion reactors or particle accelerators and in general to understand materials driven far out from equilibrium. In situ TEM and Dynamic TEM (DTEM) are powerful techniques that can be used to reveal microstructure–property relationships in materials under operational conditions, which remains largely unexplored for ion-irradiated materials. Despite decades of research, the fundamental mechanisms governing the sub-nanosecond displacement cascade evolution, and the resulting defect dynamics and irradiation-induced phase transitions are incompletely understood, especially in the presence of realistic external stimuli.

Project Overview
The successful candidate will utilize advanced analytical and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM)—including collaborations at the ER-C—to directly observe structural changes at the atomic level. Fast scanning calorimetry and synchrotron radiation techniques will be employed to probe the kinetics and thermodynamics of phase transformations. The project will explore how temperature, mechanical strain, and irradiation induce changes in atomic structure and dynamics. The influence of atomic arrangement on stability, transformation kinetics, and crystallization will be systematically investigated.

Job description

Profile

• Access to a world-class collection of state-of-the-art transmission electron microscopes and analyses instruments at Forschungszentrum Jülich and ETH Zürich.
• Opportunity to contribute to ground-breaking research in real-time microstructural observations.
• Collaborative and supportive research environment with expert mentorship.
• 100% position.
• The initial appointment will be for 4 years with the possibility of extension to complete the doctorate.
• Position available immediately or upon mutual agreement.
• ETH Zürich and Forschungszentrum Jülich are equal opportunity employers