You will be part of the Quantum Solid State Physics (QSP) section of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at KU Leuven. KU Leuven is the largest university in Belgium and is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. It can look back on a long tradition of pioneering research and high-quality education. QSP is a young division within the Department of Physics and Astronomy at KU Leuven and has about 40 PhD and post-doctoral researchers, 7 full-time and 2 part-time professors, and is supported by a professional team of technical and administrative staff. The QSP section focuses on quantum phenomena at the atomic and microscopic scale, i.e. on the origin and tunability of functional electric properties (e.g. magnetic, superconducting, semiconducting, dielectric, optical) in systems with reduced dimensionality. This ranges from single-atom defects to clusters of atoms, nanoparticles, 2D-materials, thin films and complex nanosystems and devices. The main research focus in QSP is on a deep understanding of the quantum nature of hard condensed matter and, whenever relevant, applications in functional systems and devices are also explored (often in collaboration with imec). The QSP division can rely on a wide range of in-house experimental facilities (https://fys.kuleuven.be/qsp/facilities/home), as well as expertise and access at international large-scale facilities.
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Project
This doctoral project deals with the experimental study and physical understanding of how magnetic flux quanta behave and determine the properties of superconducting NbTiN layers, circuits and devices. The doctoral project is part of a larger international project on "Flux Failure Modes Characterization and Mitigations in High Density Superconducting Circuits”. High density superconducting digital circuit technologies gain interest for application to artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, their advantages are in low power dissipation, high computational density and high interconnect bandwidth. However, different ‘flux failure modes’ can prevent the correct operation of the superconducting circuits. Such flux failures can originate from parasitic single magnetic flux quanta that can be created during cooling of the superconducting circuits through phase slips, or magnetic flux quanta that can get trapped at unwanted positions within the superconducting circuit. The project combines materials science, experiment and theory and aims to develop a predictive analytical model for flux failure probabilities and mitigation in NbTiN superconducting circuits.
The selected PhD candidate will experimentally investigate and analyze the physics of flux trapping, phase slips and single flux quanta in NbTiN superconducting layers, devices and circuits by means of DC and high frequency RF electrical characterization at the QSP division at KU Leuven. High frequency RF experiments on NbTiN superconducting coplanar wave resonators will be performed to gain insight on flux penetration, flux trapping and phase slips. The PhD candidate will correlate their findings with the material properties and flux imaging results obtained by other project partners.
At the KU Leuven, the selected candidate has access to a wide range of in-house experimental facilities for sample preparation and characterization (https://fys.kuleuven.be/qsp/facilities/home ).
The selected candidate will collaborate with several PhD students, postdoctoral researchers and professors at QSP working on quantum phenomena in superconductivity, as well as with collaborators at imec Leuven and international project partners at imec US, Cornell University, and several other partners in the USA (e.g. through participation in regular project meetings).
Profile
- You hold a master's degree in physics or in engineering or an equivalent degree, with a strong background in solid state physics.
- You are fluent in English, both in speaking and in writing.
- You are a team player with strong communication skills.
- You are highly driven and motivated to work in an international research team and in an international research environment.
- You are eager to work in an experimental physics laboratory.
Offer
- We offer a full-time PhD student position for a maximum period of 4 years (upon positive progress evaluation), in a dynamic scientific environment, in a top international university.
- The PhD position is immediately available.
- KU Leuven is a research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. KU Leuven is the oldest university in Belgium and one of the largest in Europe, it consistently ranks among the top 100 universities in the world by major ranking tables. As of 2024, it ranks 45th in the Times Higher Education rankings and 63rd according to QS World University Rankings. It has also been consistently ranked by Thomson Reuters as Europe's most innovative university, in terms of patents (and respective citations) being filed by its researchers.
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Margriet Van Bael, tel.: +32 16 32 76 46, mail: margriet.vanbael@kuleuven.be.
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