Open positions

Image: Jan-Peter Kasper/FSU

Call for doctoral researchers (PhDs)

The CRC 1375 was installed starting from July 1, 2019 and will run for four years during the first funding period. Unsolicited applications are welcome at any time.

NOA is composed of 13 projects. In your application, please make sure to state clearly your preferred research field, project and/or your preferred supervisor. Currently, the CRC 1375 NOA is still offering doctoral researcher (PhD) positions, all starting as soon as possible:

Within project A1, one doctoral (PhD) researcher position is offered:

• The position will be filled by a physicist or engineer (informatics or electrotechniques, f/m) with a Master degree with the goal of obtaining a doctoral degree. The duties will include: modeling the strong-field response of crystalline dielectrics based on the Semiconductor-Maxwell-Bloch-Equations, modifying them to account for nanostructures with finite extend, performing electromagnetic simulations to investigate the propagation of higher harmonics of electromagnetic radiation. This doctoral researcher will be supervised by Prof. Ulf Peschel.

Within project A3, one doctoral (PhD) researcher position is offered:

• The position will be filled by a physicist or engineer (informatics or electrotechniques, f/m) with a Master degree with the goal of obtaining a doctoral degree. The duties will include: modeling the optical response of metallic nanostructures, implementation of quantum models for metals. This doctoral researcher will be supervised by Prof. Ulf Peschel.

Within project A4, one doctoral (PhD) researcher positions is offered:

• The position is designed for the tasks of NOA project A4 at the Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research. The doctoral researcher will be involved in the development, testing and applications of numerical methods. This requires considerable programming experience using Fortran and Python languages. Interaction with groups performing experiments will require knowledge of theoretical foundations of the relevant experimental methods. We are looking for an young researcher with a degree in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science or related subject. The candidate should present her/himself as a very independent, motivated and creative researcher with excelling theoretical/computational skills. This doctoral researcher will be supervised by Prof. Marek Sierka.

Within project B1, one doctoral (PhD) researcher positions is offered:

• The position will be filled by a physicist or electrical engineer (f/m) with a Master degree with the goal of obtaining a doctoral degree. The duties will include: optical measurement of light-induced currents in nanosheets; transient absorption and HHG in nanosheets; participation in joint campaigns at LMU. This doctoral researcher will be supervised by Jun-Prof. Adrian N. Pfeiffer.

Within project B3, one doctoral (PhD) researcher positions is offered:

• The position will be filled by a physicist or physical chemist with a Master degree with the goal of obtaining a doctoral degree. He/she will focus on developing an understanding of the propagation of light in atomically thin films, in both, the perturbative and non-perturbative regime. He/she will enhance existing experiments for the analysis of the nonlinear response in the perturbative regime, such as SHG- and THG-microscopy stages, a femtosecond-PEEM; nonlinear spectrometers and spatiotemporal pulse formation and pulse analysis systems. He/she will be jointly supervised by both Prof. Andreas Tünnermann and Dr. Adriana Szeghalmi. For further information, please contact Dr. Falk Eilenberger.

Within project C2, one doctoral (PhD) researcher positions is offered:

• The position will require knowledge on a broad spectrum of research methods, including analytical and numerical modeling of nanophotonic systems and tip-sample interactions, nanotechnologies, developing and running tip-scanning microscopy setups, as well as data analysis.This doctoral researcher will be supervised by Prof. Thomas Pertsch.

Image: Anne Günther/FSU

Application details

We are looking for the most excellent Diploma or M.Sc. graduates in physics, photonics, or a related subject with a strong topical background related to physics and photonics. The doctoral works will be performed in exceptional and highly internationalized research groups at the main NOA location in Jena as well at the partnering Universities in Berlin and Munich. Each doctoral topic will offer outstanding opportunities for developing as a young-career researcher. All candidates will be thoroughly introduced to the individual topic and excellently supervised according to the highest standards of the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Remuneration is offered in accordance with the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector of the Federal States (TV-L) depending on the personal qualifications up to salary scale 13 and in the range of 50-75 % with respect to full time.

The Friedrich Schiller University Jena seeks to increase the number of female scientists and therefore strongly encourages qualified women to apply. The University is committed to providing a family-friendly workplace and is equipped with special means within NOA. In case of equal qualification, handicapped individuals will be given preference.

Applications can be done using the doctoral (PhD) positions branch within the Abbe School of Photonics' Online Application System, choosing "DFG SFB 1375 NOA" in the dropdown menu in the last step. During the application, the following documents and proofs will be requested for upload:

• Master of Science (M.Sc.), Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), or Diploma degree with significant exposure to physics, photonics, engineering or a related subject. If you have not yet finished your Master's degree, you may apply likewise with a preliminary Transcript of Records (ToR) including the marks of all completed courses thus far.
• Transcripts of Records (ToRs) displaying the explicit marks of all completed courses within your Bachelor and Master studies. If available, a description with the explicit content of the courses will support your application.
• A comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV). Please list all stages of your education in chronological order. The CV must contain a clear statement about your current status and/or occupation including information on current employments, unemployment, or parental leave. Any prizes, scholarship, extraordinary social, cultural or sportive activities may also be part of your CV.
• A letter of motivation (1 to 2 pages in length and to be typed). It should describe your personal background, interests and reasons for applying to NOA. In there, please include a clear statement on your preference(s) concerning research fields, projects and/or your preferred supervisor(s) within NOA. Please review NOA's research projects and the respective supervisors here.
• A copy of your passport.
• One or two letters of recommendation from academic referees (optional but recommended). A template is available for download [pdf 970KB]; however, is not mandatory to be used by the referees. Please make sure that each letter of recommendation is signed. If one or both referees rather prefer personalized, free-style recommendation letters, they should ideally contain a date and an official headline/stamp from the higher education institution the referee is affiliated with.
• A proof of English proficiency by
• TOEFL, or an equivalent English test (minimum points/grades): TOEFL PBT (550), TOEFL CBT (215), TOEFL IBT (85), IELTS (6.5), or
• Cambridge English Proficiency (CPE) exam or Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) exam, or
• German "Abitur" with comprehensive coverage of the English language.
• Language exemptions: The following students are exempted from providing the proof of English proficiency: nationals from the USA, U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or Canada; or B.Sc. or M.Sc. graduates who obtained their major academic qualification in one of these countries

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