PhD position at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona funded by the PHYNEST project

Organisation/Company Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona Department Department of Physics Research Field Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Spain Application Deadline 28 Feb 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe – COFUND Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? NoOffer Description Polarimetric Imaging for the Optical Characterization of Advanced Materials: Application to Organic Glasses and nanostructured materialsA PhD position is available in the Department of Physics at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), under the supervision of Àngel Lizana , Marta Gonzalez and Irene Estévez . The successful candidate will be enrolled in the Physics doctoral programme at the UAB in the framework of the PHYNEST project.PHYNEST is a prestigious new MSCA-COFUND doctoral programme coordinated by the UAB, designed to recruit and train 25 doctoral candidates . The programme focuses on advanced materials, innovative methodologies, and transformative solutions that address today’s most pressing challenges in the fields of energy transition and environmental sustainability .Research project: Organic semiconductor materials are attracting growing interest due to their advantages over conventional semiconductors such as silicon and germanium. Their lightweight, flexible nature, reduced toxicity, and low production costs make them promising for applications in organic electronics and optoelectronics. Both organic and inorganic nanostructured systems offer unique opportunities, as their electronic and optical properties can be tuned through chemical composition, molecular design, and nanoscale architecture.A key challenge is the reliable characterization of these complex materials, as their internal organization and anisotropy directly affect charge transport, exciton dynamics, optical response, and stability. Optical techniques are ideal to addressing this challenge. Advanced polarimetric methods, including generalized ellipsometry and imaging Mueller polarimetry, enable spatially resolved mapping of birefringence, dichroism, depolarization, and molecular orientation, directly linking nanoscale structure to macroscopic function. Despite their potential, these approaches remain underexplored in the study of advanced organic and inorganic nanostructured materials.This doctoral thesis will investigate the use of state-of-the-art polarimetric imaging to non-invasively characterize key optical and structural properties of above stated materials. Since imaging techniques will be used, the studies can be applied to analyze heterogeneities within the sample.We also aim to investigate whether physical features extracted through polarimetric techniques can be used to train artificial intelligence models capable of identifying key properties of unknown samples. In this way, we seek to establish a data-driven framework that links polarimetric signatures to intrinsic material characteristics. This approach could enable rapid, non-destructive characterization and open new pathways for intelligent material diagnostics and classification.Research groups: The Optics Group at UAB is internationally recognized for its research in image processing, surface metrology, and liquid crystal applications. They specialize in polarimetric instrumentation, with innovations using liquid crystal panels and conical refraction. Their technology has been applied in industry and biomedicine, notably enhancing tissue imaging and recognition using machine learning and depolarizing observables. The team currently consists of 3 senior researchers, 1 Ramon y Cajal (RyC) investigator, 1 postdoc, and 4 PhD students.The project will be a collaboration with the Group of Thermal Properties of Nanoscale Materials (GTNaM). The group is partially ascribed to ICN2 and focuses its research on the fabrication and characterization of materials at the nanoscale, both organic and inorganic, with special emphasis on thin films. The part of the team working on the topic of this project consists of 3 senior researchers and 2 PhD students.We are seeking highly qualified and motivated candidates with strong academic backgrounds, ambition, and excellent interpersonal skills to join our team.We offer:A full-time, 4-year contract (37.5 hours per week), starting at the end of 2026A gross annual salary of €30,900Full coverage of tuition fees by the projectEligibility criteria (EC rules):Mobility rule: Candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately preceding the programme call deadline (28 February 2026).Experience rule: Candidates must be doctoral candidates at the date of recruitment, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but have not yet been formally awarded the degree are not considered eligible. Candidates must hold a degree that qualifies them for admission to the official doctoral programme at UAB .Academic background and skills: The candidate should hold a degree in Physics, Materials Science, or a related discipline. A solid foundation in optics and/or materials engineering is expected, as well as familiarity with experimental laboratory work. While not strictly required, prior knowledge in one or more of the following areas would be considered an asset:Optics: understanding of polarization, optical anisotropy, and the interaction of light with matter; familiarity with polarimetric methods and optical characterization techniques.Materials science: experience in the preparation, processing, or thin-film growth of organic, inorganic, or hybrid materials; basic knowledge of structural and spectroscopic characterization methods.In addition, the candidate should demonstrate analytical skills, motivation to learn advanced experimental techniques, and the ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment that combines physics, materials science, and optical engineering. Strong written and oral communication skills in English are also desirable.Application process: Interested candidates are invited to apply via the PHYNEST online platform by submitting a full CV, a motivation letter, two letters of recommendation and academic and English level certificates. The call will be open from 1 January to 28 February 2026. Further details about the PHYNEST project, the recruitment process, and the application platform can be found on the PHYNEST website .#J-18808-Ljbffr