SuperSTEM Research Associate

Role Description

Department

A fixed term postdoctoral appointment is available initially for 18 months, with a possibility for extension up to 24 months, in the Department of Physics. The post will be based at the SuperSTEM Laboratory, to work with the on-site facility team, on the EPSRC New Horizons 2020 Project “Seeing magnons at spin-to-charge conversion interfaces”. We are seeking an ambitious electron microscopist who will be responsible for research on this project, developing the methodology for vibrational and magnon electron energy loss spectroscopy in an electron microscope. 

You will be embedded within the SuperSTEM Laboratory, a world-leading electron microscopy centre specialised in the direct imaging of atomic structures as well as the determination of chemical composition, bonding and vibrational properties down to single atom precision. Established in 2001, it operates as the EPSRC National Research Facility for Advanced Electron Microscopy and is located in a purpose-designed building on the SciTech Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus on the outskirts of Warrington, Cheshire.

SuperSTEM gathers a team of world-leading experts in the field of scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy loss spectroscopy who, in addition to being dedicated to assisting facility users and collaborators with their data acquisition, data processing and modelling, are also developing their own EM-based research programmes. The facility is embedded within the UK academic community through a Consortium of Universities, currently consisting of the Universities of Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Oxford, Manchester and the University of York with which this post is associated.

The Department of Physics is at the forefront of pioneering global research and technological advancement in our world leading research centres, focused around biophysics, condensed matter physics, nuclear physics, and plasma physics and fusion energy at the York Plasma Institute. As a Department we strive to provide a working environment which allows all staff and students to contribute fully, to flourish, and to excel. We aim to ensure that there is a supportive and egalitarian culture at all levels and across all staff groups. We promote good practice and a strong culture of equality in higher education, and are proud of our Juno Champion Award and Athena SWAN Silver Award.

Role

You will work in collaboration with Dr Demie Kepaptsoglou, project partners and staff of the SuperSTEM facility. Visits to the University of York and project partner University of Loughborough for experiments  is envisaged.

Post holders will be required to undertake some or all of the duties below.

• to conduct individual and collaborative research projects, duties to include: use of appropriate research techniques and methods, compiling and analysing data, writing up of research results and dissemination through publications, seminar and conference presentations;
• to provide guidance as required to research students, and any other students who may be assisting with the research; to assist with the development of student research skills, and be expected to contribute to the assessment of student knowledge in the context of supervision duties;
• to assist in the identification of potential areas of research, as well as manage and direct the project as opportunities allow.

 Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

• A PhD in Physics,  Chemistry, Materials Science or related subject is essential;
• Knowledge transmission in electron microscopy is essential;
• Knowledge in aberration correction and experience in the operation of Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopes is desirable; 
• Experience in Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy measurements and analysis or other related spectroscopy techniques (e.g synchrotron based - XAS, ARPES, RIXS, or optical FTIR, Raman) is desirable;
• Experience in in-situ electron microscopy (e.g electrical measurements, heating experiments) is desirable;
• Experience in maintenance of electron microscopes is desirable;
• Experience in TEM sample preparation by Focused Ion Beam techniques is desirable;
• Knowledge in magnetism or spintronics is desirable;
• Knowledge in electronic structure theory is desirable;
• Experience in advanced data processing or coding (e.g Python, MATLAB) is desirable;

For informal enquiries: please contact Demie Kepaptsoglou on dmkepap@superstem.org or demie.kepaptsoglou@york.ac.uk

The University is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community  – a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, campus facilities and services to support staff from different backgrounds.

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