Research Fellow in Defect-Mediated Charge Transport

About us

The London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) is an interdisciplinary enterprise between University College London, King’s College London and Imperial College London. In bringing together world-class infrastructure and leading nanotechnology research activities, the Centre aims to attain the critical mass to compete with the best facilities abroad. The LCN has strong relationships with the broader nanotechnology and commercial communities, and is involved in much major collaboration. As the world’s only such facility to be located in the heart of a metropolis, the LCN has superb access to corporate, investment and industrial partners. It is at the forefront of training in nanotechnology, and has a strong media presence aimed at educating the public and bringing transparency to this emerging science

LCN and UCL Physics and Astronomy are at the forefront of research into complexity in materials science, particularly in the area of emergent properties in strongly correlated systems. Particularly, how charge moves these compounds is of paramount importance, but how it interacts with the defects found in real materials is poorly understood and difficult to reveal. Single crystals can offer unparalleled insights into material properties, charge transport and defect chemistry. The Facility for Advanced Crystals for Emerging Technologies (FACET) at the Research Complex at Harwell has recently opened to allow access to these powerful scientific platforms for device physics applications.

About the role

The post holder will be required to carry out research on charge transport in energy materials – specifically iron oxide (a candidate photocatalyst, battery electrode and supercapacitor material) and nickel oxide (an emerging supercapacitor electrode material and hole transport layer for photovoltaics) – with the goal to elucidate the effects of dopants on their antiferromagnetic structure and electron small polaron hopping. In particular, they will apply advanced neutron and X-ray scattering techniques at national facilities to reveal short-range correlated disorder, invisible to long-range structure probes.

This project will use a state-of-the-art, laser-heated, high-pressure image furnace to synthesise metal oxide single crystals of extremely high purity. These will be precisely oriented and a suite of transport measurements used to determine the nature of hopping transport. Finally, three-dimensional delta-pair-distribution-function analysis will isolate correlated magnetic and atomic disorder to build a full picture of charge transport in these important materials.

The role is a fixed term position, post duration is until 28.02.2029.

About you

The ideal candidate will be a motivated and collaborative researcher who is either completing or has recently obtained a PhD in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science, or a closely related discipline. You will have a strong academic background and expertise in at least one key area of inorganic crystalline materials research, such as synthesis and characterisation, with knowledge of techniques including crystal growth, charge transport measurements, X-ray or neutron scattering, or powder X-ray diffraction being advantageous.

Customer advert reference: B04-07825

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