Offer Description
General Scope: The mutual coupling of condensed-matter excitations of different nature (incl. photons, phonons, magnons, etc.) enables hybrid devices combining functionalities obtained from each. Within this principle, the ability to couple to spin accumulations brings yet unexplored concepts to be leveraged as quantum enabling technologies in the domain of microwaves and mm-waves. Cryogenic circulators and isolators are used to ensure a non-reciprocal transmission of microwave signals, which is…
essential to the readout of qubits while protecting them from backflow of thermal noise. Most of present circulators and isolators obtain their non-reciprocity from magnetic materials. Our recent experimental work targets the on-chip integration of such components using epitaxial thin films of magnetic insulators, not only to bring considerable scaling, but also to enable control of magnetic order and magnon dynamics relying on active spin-injection phenomena. Compared to established approaches with hybrid systems coupling photons to paramagnetic spin ensembles, magnetic order brings exchange energy, structuring of collective modes and spin torques as new resources. Beyond the fundamental questions regarding the coherence of magnon states, spin-magnon coupling close to their ground state, etc., a highly innovative path appears towards novel concepts of spin-injection magnonic devices operating in cryogenic conditions.
PhD Subject: The core of this Ph.D. project will be to explore spin-injection phenomena, well known from room-temperature magnonics, taken into the context of highly coherent magnon states near their ground level. This requires several steps, from the understanding of spin-magnon interactions in quantized systems to spin-charge conversion mechanisms and efficiency. A prototypical system for this is a bilayer of Bi-substituted yttrium iron garnet and Pt. In this magnetic-insulator/heavy-metal system, the former is the magnon host whose magnetic properties are adjusted by Bi substitution, while the latter is the spin injector based on the spin Hall effect. These materials will be elaborated and tailored through internal collaboration with the LPE/crystal growth team at Néel Institute, and in the frame of a common international project with ETH Zurich (IRP CNRS Cormorant).
This experimental approach is supported by tremendous progress made over the recent years in the synthesis of ultrathin (<100 nm) epitaxial films of substituted iron garnets, and by the recent breakthroughs in spin injection, shown to enable deeply non-linear excitations of magnetic precession and dynamical stabilization of the magnetic order against its stable energy minimum. Experiments to be conducted within the Ph.D. include quasi-static magneto-transport, measurements in the microwave domain and optical probing by Brillouin light scattering. By the end of this Ph.D., cryogenic spin-injection devices that could be considered include rapidly switching reconfigurable magnonic elements, and oscillators based on the active amplification of magnons.
Required Skills:
- A training in Physics, with the will to pursue work involving experiments, materials, and solid-state devices
- A capacity to integrate own efforts into teamwork, with a commitment to the scientific and technical progress of on-going projects in the group
- A familiarity with coding with an interest for advanced instrumentation
- A proficiency in transport measurements, microwaves, or nanofabrication will be valuable
Requirements
Research Field: Physics
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Additional Information
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification by the application deadline and must not already hold a doctoral degree. Applicants must also comply with the MSCA mobility rule: they must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding the application deadline. Applicants must not be current employees of the host laboratory. There are no nationality or age restrictions.
Selection process
Applications must be submitted through the QuanG2 online application platform by 7 September 2026 at 12:00 PM (Paris time). After the application deadline, all applications will first undergo an eligibility check. Eligible applications will then be reviewed during the pre-selection phase, scheduled for mid-October 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to online interviews at the end of October 2026. Candidates selected following this first interview stage will then be invited to in-person interviews in Grenoble in early December 2026, with the final selection taking place after these interviews. All candidates will be informed of the outcome of the selection process following the final stage.
Additional comments
About the QuanG2 PhD Call
This PhD position is offered as part of the QuanG2 PhD Call for Applications, a doctoral programme coordinated by Université Grenoble Alpes and dedicated to training the next generation of researchers in quantum science and technology. The programme offers fully funded three-year PhD positions within the Grenoble quantum research ecosystem, providing doctoral candidates with a high-level international research environment and dedicated funding for their research and training activities.
Website for additional job details: https://phdquantumgrenoble.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/sites/default/files/Mediatheque/default/PhD%20Topics%20-%20Autumn%202026/31.%20Legrand_Ranno_2026.pdf
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