Job Information
Organisation/Company: Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
Department: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid
Research Field: Physics
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: PhD Positions
Application Deadline: 30 Sep 2026 - 15:00 (Europe/Brussels)
Country: Spain
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 37.5
Offer Starting Date: 1 Jan 2027
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
We are looking for a PhD student to deliver the first real-time, atomically resolved view of how energy is dissipated in single-atom contacts, the microscopic origin of friction and adhesion, which account for ~30% of global energy losses. Working on our newly commissioned cryogenic aperture-less SNOM (Photon-STM lab), you will manipulate single molecules on inorganic surfaces: a picowatt-sensitive tuning-fork sensor will measure the energy dissipated as you lift the molecule off the surface, while time-resolved tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) reveals which vibrational modes are excited and where the energy flows. The project builds on techniques pioneered in our group — Ångstrom-scale TERS imaging and time-correlated single photon counting — and is complemented by non-equilibrium simulations (in collaboration with G. Vilhena's group), symbolic regression (AI-Lab), and international research stays. The ultimate goal is to move from observing dissipation to designing it, chemically tuning molecules to block specific energy-loss channels. We offer an FPI–Severo Ochoa contract, cutting-edge infrastructure, a world-class international network, and training that will shape you into an independent researcher. The work will be developed at the Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM), a research institute of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC).
Where to apply
E-mail: ofertas_euraxess@icmm.csic.es
Requirements
Research Field: Physics
Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications: Ultra high vacuum. Good interpersonal skills are required and good written and oral communications skills in English are highly desirable.
Specific Requirements: Scanning probe microscopies
Languages: ENGLISH
Level: Good
Research Field: Physics
Additional Information
Additional comments: ICMM is deeply committed to preserving equal opportunities and inclusiveness, a philosophy that our group fully supports.
The applicants should send:
- Curriculum vitae (maximum two A4 page)
- Motivation letter for this doctoral position (maximum one A4 page)
to this email address: ofertas_euraxess@icmm.csic.es. In the title (subject) of your email please write: PhD-2026-5. All materials should be in English and submitted in PDF format no later than 30 September 2026, 15:00 h.
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 1
Company/Institute: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC)
Country: Spain
State/Province: Madrid
City: Madrid
Postal Code: 28049
Street: c/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3
Contact
State/Province: Madrid
City: Madrid
Website: https://www.icmm.csic.es/
Street: c/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3
Postal Code: 28049
E-Mail: ofertas_euraxess@icmm.csic.es
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