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The Institute of Physics is seeking a highly motivated young individual for the Surface and Interface Physics group to participate in experimental research projects aimed at elucidating surface processes at the molecular and atomic level through the use of scanning probe microscopy and photoemission spectroscopy/tomography techniques.

Your duties

• Participate in projects conducted by the research group on Surface and Interface Science
• Possibility to work on a relevant PhD thesis in the field surface science
• Teach courses and conduct examinations as part of the Physics Bachelors study
• Student support and supervision
• Cooperation on organizational and administrative tasks as well as in evaluation measures

Your Profile

• Completed diploma or master´s degree in the field of Physics / Physical Chemistry
• Excellent command of spoken and written German and English
• Very good IT skills
• Knowledge of the concepts and experimental methods of surface science
• Highly committed and motivated approach to academic work
• Independent, goal-oriented approach to work
• High level of social and communication skills

Our Offer

Classification
alary scheme of the Universitäten-KV (University Collective Agreement): B1

Minimum Salary
he minimum salary as stated in the collective agreement and according to the classification scheme is EUR 45.882,20 gross/year (for full-time employment). This minimum salary may be higher due to previous employment periods eligible for inclusion and other earnings and remunerations.

We offer you a job with a lot of responsibility and variety. You can expect an enjoyable work climate, flexible work hours and numerous possibilities for further education and personal development. Take advantage of the chance to enter into a challenging work environment full of team spirit and enthusiasm for your job.

Application deadline: 12.07.2023

The University of Graz strives to increase the proportion of women in particular in management and faculty positions and therefore encourages qualified women to apply.

Especially with regard to academic staff, we welcome applications from persons with disabilities who meet the requirements of the advertised position.

* Please note the limitations of § 109 UG (university act), especially in the case of short contract terms. For further information, please refer to our general application regulations.

For further information or questions, please contact:

Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Martin Sterrer
martin.sterrer(at)uni-graz.at

Please note that in order to comply with the applicable data protection regulations, we can only accept applications via our web-based applicant tool for this vacant position.

Apply now

Project title: How accurate is the pole expansion of the scattering matrix?
Where: Theoretical Nanophysics, Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Austria

Project summary:

Metasurfaces are spatial arrangements of subwavelength optical building blocks that allow tailoring the propagation of light in a layer of subwavelength thickness. They have huge potential for applications such as flat lenses, holograms, displays, or classical and quantum sensors.

The building blocks of metasurfaces are mostly designed via numerical calculations, which are often time-consuming and cumbersome. A more elegant way is describing the optical scattering matrix of these building blocks in terms of their resonant states, also known as quasi-normal modes. Thus, the optical response can be often derived faster, and the resonant expansion provides additional insight due to the physically meaningful basis of resonant states.

Several formulations for the resonant expansion of the scattering matrix have been derived so far. However, a thorough comparison of these formulations is lacking. Additionally, these formulations must be extended by cut contributions in certain systems, which has not been achieved in a universal manner – particularly if resonant states and cuts are spectrally close.

This results naturally in the following questions: What are the advantages and disadvantages of the various formulations and how can we include cut contributions in a universal way? We are going to address these questions to obtain a better understanding of light-matter interaction at the nanoscale and to push the limits of metasurfaces further to the next level.

We offer:

• Timely research project in the field of theoretical nanooptics and metasurfaces
• Four-year contract as University Assistant without doctorate as 75% of a fulltime equivalent according to salary scheme B1 (see Austrian University Collective Agreement)
• Work in an international team with collaborations worldwide

Your profile:

• Diploma or Master in physics or related subjects
• Knowledge of electrodynamics and optics
• Good command of English
• Not necessary, but preferable is knowledge in theoretical and numerical nanooptics

If you are interested, please contact Thomas Weiss by phone: +43 316 380 5228 or by e-mail: thomas.weiss(at)uni-graz.at.

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Tasks:
• Design and implementation of the experimental setup
• Automatization of the data acquisition and image formation process
• Resolution and contrast characterization of the developed microscope
• Application of the method for imaging cell structures on histological sections

Requirements:
• Education: physics, technical engineering
• Hard skills: basic knowledge of optics, acoustics and signal processing
• signal skills: Python, MATLAB, LabView
• Soft skills: Initiative, structured working

Additional information:

Start of work: possible from April 2023
Period: 1 Year
Salary: about 400€ per month
Supervisor: Mag. Dr. Robert Nuster, Institute of Physics, University of Graz
Co-supervisor: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Günther Paltauf, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Peter Banzer

If you are interested to work within a project at the edge of laser acoustic and optical microscopy with modern light structuring methods do not hesitate to contact me (+43 316 380 5195, ro.nuster(at)uni-graz.at) or just walk by!

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Tasks:
• Get involved with advanced materials characterization
• Work within an interdisciplinary project directly connected to the industry
• Development of efficient laser ultrasound measurement strategies
• Testing advanced data analysis methods to improve failure prediction

Requirements:
• Education: experimental physics, technical engineering
• Hard skills: background in physics, material science
• Basic programming skills: Python, MATLAB, LabView
• Soft skills: Initiative, structured working

Additional information:

Start of work: possible from April 2023
Period: 1 Year
Salary: about 400€ per month
Supervisor: Mag. Dr. Robert Nuster, Institute of Physics, University of Graz
Co-supervisor: Ao. Prof. Dr. Günther Paltauf, Institute of Physics, University of Graz

If you are interested to work within a project at the edge of laser acoustic and optical microscopy with modern signal processing methods, material science, and industry, do not hesitate to contact me (+43 316 380 5195, ro.nuster@unigraz.at) or just walk by!

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The Institute of Physics, University of Graz is seeking a PhD candidate to work for three years on a project on non-destructive testing of railway wheelset axles with the help of laser-induced surface acoustic waves. The PhD project is part of collaboration with the Materials Center Leoben and two national industrial partners, aiming at a better maintenance and an optimization of inspection intervals of railway components and is funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).

Laser-ultrasound makes it possible to inspect materials nondestructively and remotely due to the optical excitation and measurement of various kinds of acoustic modes. In the envisaged application, the propagation speed and dispersion of surface acoustic waves will be exploited to measure residual stresses and their depth profiles in the steel axles. These stresses are introduced into the steel parts during production and play an important role in extending the life cycle of the axles. The PhD project will give the opportunity to work experimentally in the field of optics and acoustics and will offer ample opportunities to explore novel measurement and data processing techniques.

Your tasks:
• Design and build a measurement setup for laser generation and optical detection of ultrasound in mechanically stressed steel samples.
• Using the setup, explore different modes of optical excitation, such as projection of lines or periodical patterns onto the sample surface.
• Perform supporting simulations of wave propagation to explore the influence of elastic stresses on acoustic waves.
• Develop signal processing tools to extract dispersion curves and related stress profiles from the measured ultrasound signals.
• Perform measurements on pre-conditioned steel samples provided by the project partners.

Your profile:
•  Master’s degree, preferably in physics or advanced materials science.
• Strong interest in experimental techniques in the field of optics and acoustics
• Experience in signal processing, as well as programming skills are desired
• Good command in written and spoken English

We offer:
• Participation in an exciting research project at the interface of science and industry
• A research position for a duration of three years, starting in April 2023
• The opportunity to work in a research group devoted to cutting edge topics in optics, acoustics and biomedical imaging
Please send your application including a motivation letter with a description of research interests, a detailed curriculum vitae and the name and contact detail of at least one referee per E-mail to: Günther Paltauf, Institut für Physik, Universität Graz. E-Mail: guenther.paltauf(at)uni-graz.at

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