Research Assistant in Materials Science

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 24 months in the first instance. The post should start by early January 2025. This position is for a post-doctoral Research Assistant/Associate to work in Professor Judith Driscoll's research group - https://driscoll.msm.cam.ac.uk/. The position is to work on a new collaborative project with a start-up company in Cambridgeshire.

The candidate will be expected to undertake research in the area of oxide thin film materials with electrical switching effects in epitaxial binary ferroelectric oxide thin films, aimed at either non-volatile memory or neuromorphic computing or both. They will also work with industry colleagues. The successful applicant will be expected to undertake experimental research in a team environment, working under the supervision of Prof Driscoll. The candidate will undertake thin film growth by pulsed laser deposition and/or sputtering, undertake materials characterisation by a wide range of methods (e.g. X-ray, XPS, AFM), and will undertake electrical device fabrication and testing. The candidate needs to be highly self-motivated and ambitious with demonstrated independence of research with solid experience in the aforementioned methods.

Other responsibilities include: Liaising with colleagues within the department and with the industrial sponsor of the project on device fabrication and characterisation, analysing and interpreting the results of own research and generating original ideas based on outcomes, designing and conducting a coherent set of experiments and record their outcome, conducting literature and database searches, writing up results of own research, assisting in the organisation of conferences or other meetings, whether they be online or in-person, leading and contributing to the production of research reports and publications, presenting information on research progress and outcomes to internal and external stakeholders, both academic and industrial. Previous applicants to posts advertised in the Driscoll group in the past 6 months need not apply.

Experience Criteria: Applicants should have or about to obtain a PhD in a materials science or a closely related subject with experience as outlined above. Experience in 2D materials such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride and transition metal dichalcogenides would be advantageous, either device fabrication, synthesis or characterisation. Effective written communication skills and the ability to plan and organise independently are essential.