Are you interested in designer matter? The University of Amsterdam is seeking an excellent, highly motivated PhD candidate to carry out interdisciplinary research at the frontier of metamaterials, physical mechanics and active matter.

What are you going to do?

Mechanical metamaterials have emerged as the most promising platform for the rational design of ‘extreme’ functionalities. Importantly, such advanced properties are typically designed through a purely geometrical framework. Yet, this impressive progress is so far confined to the control of deformations. This traditional focus severely limits our understanding of metamaterials and their potential for applications where dissipation is often a crucial aspect. In this project you will research how the extreme mechanics of metamaterials (i) can be used to achieve on-demand dissipation of shocks and vibrations and (ii) can be revolutionized by the use of active processes. You will develop a completely new framework to allow for dissipative and active degrees of freedom, and you will validate it through a wide array of experimental and numerical techniques. This breakthrough will lead to powerful tools to capture the physics of a new generation of dissipative and active metamaterials and to design advanced mechanical functionalities tailored to dynamic scenarios. Beyond advancing fundamental knowledge in physics and solid mechanics of metamaterials, this project will open avenues for shock and vibration damping to materials process applications, relevant in a wide range of industries, from prosthetics to automotive and aerospace.

• Master’s degree in physics, mathematics, engineering, computational science or a related field;
• a strong background in physics and mechanics;
• experience with numerical simulations, theory and/or experiments and a strong taste for combining and learning different approaches;
• a creative, curious and driven nature;
• excellent written and oral communication skills in English.

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (initial appointment will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years) and should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The salary, depending on relevant experience before the beginning of the employment contract, will be €2,325 to €2,972 (scale P) gross per month, based on full-time employment (38 hours a week). These amounts are exclusive 8 % holiday allowance and 8,3 % end-of-year bonus. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? Then find out more about working at the Faculty of Science.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Science – Institute of Physics

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The PhD project will be carried out at the Machine Materials Laboratory, headed by Dr Corentin Coulais, and part of the Soft Matter Group within Institute of Physics (IoP). The laboratory focus on Mechanical Metamaterials and benefit from exceptional scientific environments, in soft and condensed matter, computational physics and advanced materials.

The IoP is situated in new, purpose-built laboratories and teaching space in the building of the Faculty of Science in the Science Park Amsterdam. This location also plays host to numerous national research institutes such as AMOLF (nanophotonics, biomolecular systems, photovoltaics), NIKHEF (Subatomic Physics) and CWI (mathematics and Computer Science), as well as ARCNL (Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography, which combines the leading Dutch tech firm ASML with both Amsterdam universities and AMOLF).