The Solid-State Materials Chemistry Group at the Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences (D-CHAB), ETH Zurich, is seeking a highly motivated doctoral candidate. The group investigates how crystal chemistry, structure, and dimensionality can be used to control and create functionality in complex inorganic solids. The laboratory is being established for thin-film synthesis using physical vapor deposition methods, structural modification via wet-chemistry-based approaches, and advanced structural and functional characterization. The long-term goal is to develop materials with potential for technology transfer to semiconductor and photonic industries, as well as energy conversion and storage applications.
Low-temperature chemical reactions (soft-chemistry) can drive topochemical transformations that modify the composition and structure of an existing solid while preserving its overall crystal framework. Layered perovskite oxides are particularly suited to this approach, as their interlayer regions are chemically accessible while the functional perovskite-derived slabs can remain intact. Changing the interlayer chemistry can alter crystal symmetry, give rise to charge discontinuities and structural distortions, and provide a way to control functionality in solids, such as magnetic order, ferroelectric polarization configuration, and electronic and ionic transport.
The broader aim is to establish how topochemical transformations can reconfigure distinct electronic, magnetic, and dipolar states, enabling on-demand functionality for future memory, logic, and sensing applications.
Tasks
- Prepare layered oxide precursors as thin films (pulsed-laser deposition), single crystals (e.g., floating zone method), or nanoparticles (e.g., hydrothermal synthesis).
- Develop post-growth topochemical reactions using solution-based and controlled-atmosphere methods.
- Monitor changes in composition, structure, and functional properties using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning-probe microscopy, magnetometry, and electrical measurements, as well as experiments at large-scale facilities (e.g., Paul Scherrer Institute).
- Present results at scientific conferences, publish work, and collaborate with researchers within the group and internationally.
Requirements
- Hold a master’s degree in chemistry, materials science, physics, or a related field, with a foundation in inorganic materials synthesis.
- Highly motivated, curious, and self-driven, with enthusiasm for helping establish a new laboratory, contributing to equipment installation, establishing safe and reproducible synthetic procedures, and helping create a collaborative group culture.
- Excellent spoken and written English.
- Willingness to work in an international and diverse team.
- Experience in one or more of the following areas is advantageous but not required: inorganic or solid-state synthesis, solution-based and soft-chemical methods, hydrothermal or solvothermal synthesis, thin-film deposition, single-crystal synthesis, scanning probe microscopy, electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, electrical transport measurements.
Benefits
- Fully funded doctoral position for four years with a competitive salary according to ETH standards.
- Access to a state-of-the-art ultra-high-vacuum thin-film deposition cluster, a laboratory for wet-chemical and solid-state synthesis, and advanced structural and functional characterization facilities.
- Excellent training opportunities and employment conditions according to ETH Zurich standards.
- Numerous benefits, such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare, and attractive pension benefits.
- Collaborative, inclusive, and intellectually stimulating research environment that values scientific curiosity, creativity, and independence.
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Über uns
Das Team
You will join the newly established Solid-State Materials Chemistry Group at the Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, working in a collaborative and diverse team environment that values scientific curiosity and creativity.