英国华威大学2022年招聘博士后职位（新型磁性材料研究国际项目）

英国华威大学2022年招聘博士后职位（新型磁性材料研究国际项目）

Description

The Department of Physics seeks to appoint a Research Fellow with theoretical and computational modelling skills to participate in an international project on the investigation of new magnetic materials.

Magnetic materials are ubiquitous and technologically indispensable. They are used in data storage, motors, generators, electronic devices, solid state cooling, medical treatment therapies and diagnostics, toys and so on. This versatility comes from the complex glue of electrons which both binds the nuclei of a material together and generates the magnetism. Each one of the septillions of electrons has both charge and intrinsic spin. The spins cause atomic-scale, relatively long-lived magnetic moments to emerge from the electronic fluid and the moments' behaviour fixes properties such as the overall magnetisation along with its resilience and response to magnetic fields. At high temperatures the moments disorder so that they average out to produce a low or zero magnetisation. At lower temperatures ordered patterns of the moments form, changing the material's properties. Electric current through the material is sensitive to the nature, topology and extent of the order. Likewise, anything which affects the electronic glue, such as altering the atomic arrangements by pressure, strain or replacing some of the atoms with those of other elements, impacts on the material's magnetism.

Recently, in the PRETAMAG project (www. warwick.ac.uk/pretamag), we established ab initio computational modelling, tested by detailed comparison with experiment, which accurately accounts for this physics. It describes how intrinsic magnetic properties change as the temperature is varied, a magnetic field applied, the material is strained etc. Apart from the type of crystal structure and lattice parameters, the only inputs to the modelling are the types of atoms, their relative proportions and their positions within the crystal lattice. This information is taken from experiment where available or prescribed from the outset. In this new project we will integrate the modelling with a determination of how the atoms are arranged in multicomponent materials to make it truly predictive. Working in close concert with experimental project partners, we will discover not only the effects on the magnetic properties but crucially what compositional arrangements are energetically feasible, and what compositional tuning can be realistically carried out. This will provide valuable input for design of new magnetic materials, reducing 'trial and error' experimental procedures. We will target two areas: (i) new permanent magnet design and (ii) computational modelling for novel materials processing for magneto-functional materials being developed by our project partners at Northeastern University in Boston (USA).

You will possess a solid background in density-functional theory and previous experience in first principles calculations of bulk crystalline and/or nanostructured materials. You will have a strong interest and aptitude for theoretical development and scientific computing. A background in magnetic materials will also be desirable.

If you are near submission or have recently submitted your PhD but have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made as Research Assistant at the top of level 5 of the University grade structure (£30,497). Upon receipt of evidence of the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow on the first point of level 6 of the University grade structure (£31,406 pa).

Please direct all informal inquiries Prof. Julie Staunton (j.b.staunton@warwick.ac.uk)