Available Positions

1. Topic: Understanding polarity of crystals obtained by symmetry reduction (molecular crystals doped stereo specifically reduces symmetry and develops a set of a very unusual properties).
2. Pre-requisites: common sense (if available) basics knowledge in chemistry or materials science or engineering. Chemical engineering background is also good.
3. Skills to master: growth of organic crystals and their structural characterization. Measurements of pyroelectric, piezoelectric, and elastic properties.
4. Type of work for a M.Sc. project: answering a specific question about the novel the structure-property relations. Trying to make some sense of how they are related and why they do not follow the theory that worked well for 140 years.

1. Novel materials and methods for electromechanical coupling in solids. Piezoelectric thin films. Development of non-classical electrostrictors as ceramics and thin films. Electro-Chemo-X effects (X=mechanical, electrical, magnetic i.e. Solid State Chempotronics) and micro-devices based on these effects. Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) based on non-classical electrostrictors: actuators, switches, memory devices, micro-pumps, tunable capacitors and inductors.
2. Pre-requisites: common sense (if available) basics knowledge in either of these fields: materials science/chemical engineering/inorganic chemistry/applied physics. One the fields is enough. The rest can be learnt on the fly
3. Skills to master: microfabrication and MEMS, materials engineering design, basic of electrical characterization (low fields and high fields), structural characterization techniques, basics of device reliability assessment.
4. Type of work for a M.Sc. project: answering a specific question about the novel material/actuation mechanism. Includes: preparation (usually known) and characterization of a specific property correlating it with the composition and preparation method

Functional ceramics: low temperature ceramic proton conductors

Skills to master: ceramics preparation and characterization:

Structural (XRD, SEM)

Chemical (XPS, ICP-MS)

dielectric: broad band high voltage impedance spectroscopy

(electro)mechanical: direct electromechanical response and converse electrostriction response

Field of studies:

Development of molecular crystals with enhanced functional properties (pyro-, piezo- ferro- electric ): growth and characterization.

Skills to master: ceramics preparation and

Structural (XRD+ advanced mode)

Chemical (ICP-MS, HPLC)

dielectric: broad band high voltage impedance spectroscopy

(electro)mechanical: direct electromechanical response and converse electrostriction response

Other: Raman, IR, special technics developed in the group.

Field of studies:

Functional ceramics: development of new non-classical electrostrictor based materials/devices (materials with a strong second order electromechanical response)

Target:

Skills to master: ceramics preparation and

Structural (XRD, SEM)

Chemical (XPS, ICP-MS)

dielectric: broad band high voltage impedance spectroscopy

(electro)mechanical: direct electromechanical response and converse electrostriction response

Microfabrication devices based on functional ceramics: studies and construction of MEMS devices based on non-classical electrostrictors

Skills to master:

Basics of microfabrication including films deposition techniques, optical and electron beam lithography, processing of semiconductors, stress management in thin films, application of non-classical (low dielectric constant) electrostrictors.

For a rotation: learn to measure a specific property and try to understand how it is related to the crystal structure.

Field of studies: organic and inorganic functional materials, bulk and thin films