This project is embedded in the Eindhoven Research Center for Integrated Nanophotonics, funded by the NWO Gravitation program. Research in the center is about creating the technology for connecting seven billion people with each other and with the data centers that will provide access to the world's knowledge and information. The technology will support the Petabyte datastreams exchanged between the billions of processors, defining the future internet. Research is focused on breakthroughs in exploiting novel physical concepts and fundamentally new nanoscale circuits to facilitate this enormous growth, while preventing the energy consumption of our global network from exploding. Six research groups from the departments of Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering, including our group Physics of Nanostructures (FNA), are collaborating within the center - covering the complete chain of knowledge from fundamental physics to system architecture. The PhD student will work in a project team of 2 - 3 PhD students / postdocs being part of the Research Center, but research will be intensely integrated with other research within the group FNA.

Description of the PhD project

The final ten-years aim of the relevant sub-program is the copying of streams of high-data rate optical bits in an energy-efficient way into a dense magnetic memory, and vice versa, without electronic intermediate steps. This visionary approach is inspired by recent developments in the field of nanomagnetism and spintronics, including all-optical magnetic switching using fs laser-pulses and current-driven magnetic domain wall motion in magnetic nanowires exploiting highly efficient spin-orbit torque scenarios. The present student will implement all-optical fs switching schemes (as explored by another PhD student who started up already) to transfer optical information to a racetrack-like magnetic medium. In particular, the PhD student will be involved with engineering appropriate materials and device structures that combine the envisioned functionalities. Depending on progress, background and interest of the candidate, also first steps towards implementing novel writing and reading schemes in 'integrated photonics', employing plasmonic approaches and resonant cavities, may be attempted.  Although most of the work will be experimental (fs laser lab, UHV thin film deposition, and nanolithography), activities on modeling and simulation may also contribute to a successful project. 

We are searching for an excellent candidate with a (nearly) completed Master of Science in experimental/applied physics. A background directly related to the project (such as condensed matter physics, ultrafast laser spectroscopies, mageto-optics, nanomagnetism, spintronics, spin dynamics, domain-wall physics, thin film engineering, nano-lithography or nano-electronic device physics) will be appreciated.

We offer a full time appointment for four years, a gross monthly salary from €2222 (first year) to €2840 (fourth year) in line with the Collective Agreement for Dutch Universities and an attractive package of fringe benefits, including end-of-year allowance, a personal development program for PhD students (Proof program), and excellent sport facilities.