The Resonant Nanophotonics group seeks a talented PhD student who is eager to work on novel nanophotonic strategies and light emitting materials to improve next-generation solid-state lighting. This is a collaborative project in which AMOLF,  the Surface Photonics group  at TUe  and researchers of the leading LED-company Lumileds team up to tackle fundamental challenges encountered in the quest for very high brightness white LEDs. Such ultrabright LEDs target over 200 lm/W of light, and need to run at over 1 ampere per square millimeter of device. This means that both the quantum well structure in which the blue light is generated, and the phosphor that converts blue light to white light operate under extreme conditions of carrier density, junction temperature and power dissipation.  This requires an extremely tight control over an efficiency budget composed of electrical quantum efficiency, control over the radiative and non-radiative decay rates of dense ensembles of emitters,  and the extraction of light into desired emission directions and spectral windows. While in the past the participating groups have evidenced basic strategies for controlling these physical aspects, the challenge now is to realize them at extreme device conditions, and to combine them with novel phosphor emitter materials that allow to pack very high oscillator strength and emission brightness in a small volume. The project will combine nanofabrication of metasurfaces integrated with LEDs and candidate phosphor materials, such as quantum dots, perovskites and 2D materials,  with advanced optical measurement techniques,  and a solid connection to the rich background theory of the topic. This project offers the possibility to perform fundamental research with a direct link to applications, and to interact closely with researchers of the industrial partner Lumileds. At AMOLF you will work in close connection to other group members, have the opportunity to guide MSc students, and be involved in all aspects of design, realization, and optical experiments.

We seek an excellent candidate with a background in physics and experience with experiments in a field such as optics, microscopy, spectroscopy, photonics, or AMO physics. The successful candidate is eager to work with an industry partner. You will need to meet the requirements for an MSc-degree, to ensure eligibility for a Dutch PhD examination.

The position is intended as full-time (40 hours / week, 12 months / year) appointment in the service of the Netherlands Foundation of Scientific Research Institutes (NWO-I) for the duration of four years. After successful completion of the PhD research a PhD degree will be granted at the University of Amsterdam. Several courses are offered, specially developed for PhD-students. AMOLF assists any new foreign PhD-student with housing and visa applications and compensates their transport costs and furnishing expenses.

Resonant Nanophotonics

The Resonant Nanophotonics team is part of the Center for Nanophotonics at AMOLF, and studies light-matter interactions in nanoscale systems, such as metasurfaces and plasmonic antennas. We investigate the fundamental physics associated with controlling spontaneous emission, lasing and cooperative emission  engineered by optical field confinement in tailored nanophotonic systems, as well as the applications they allow. All projects in the group involve the use and development of advanced optical measurement techniques and nanofabrication, with extensive support from the group leader and AMOLF technical staff. Within the group and the Center for Nanophotonics, we have a strong focus on stimulating development of young researchers in all professional aspects, as well as collaborations with other researchers at AMOLF and in national and international contexts. For more information, see www.koenderink.info