PhD in Optics and Quantum Matter (M/F)

About the position

PhD in Optics and Quantum Matter (M/F)

Institution: CNRS

Research Field: Engineering

Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)

Application Deadline: 12 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (UTC)

Job Status: Full-time

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

This PhD contract is funded by the CNRS's Mission for Cross-cutting and Interdisciplinary Initiatives (MITI).

The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between the Physics Laboratory at the ENS de Lyon and the Lyon Institute of Nanotechnologies.

These prestigious French grandes écoles are renowned for their excellence in research and higher education, training engineers, future academics and researchers in a highly selective and interdisciplinary environment.

The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team combining theoretical condensed matter physics, numerical modeling and experimental optics and photonics and with a solid experience of collaboration.

In addition, this project forms part of a

collective initiative aimed at structuring French research into topological materials and their applications in the energy sector.

It will play an active role in several national networks which brings together national stakeholders to study the properties of topological materials, and in particular the optical and electromagnetic aspects.

Achieving directional control of light–matter interaction is a major challenge for both fundamental physics and energy-related applications, particularly in the context of thermal radiation management and optical energy harvesting.

The purpose of this PhD project is to study whether intrinsic optical non-reciprocity can be:

This PhD project addresses these challenges by combining microscopic modeling of materials, photonic design, and experimental validation of directional optical responses.

The project aims to establish a comprehensive framework for intrinsic optical non-reciprocity through three main objectives:

• Microscopic modeling of optical conductivity: develop a realistic description of the frequency-dependent conductivity tensor σ(ω) using numerical approaches applicable to a wide class of materials.

• Extension to complex photonic architectures: design and investigate photonic structures— ranging from thin films to structured and potentially patterned systems—maximizing directional optical contrast and relaxing symmetry constraints.

The project is expected to deliver:

Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field: Physics

Research Field: Technology

Years of Research Experience: None

Website for additional job details: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR5672-DAVCAR-002/Default.aspx

What you’ll bring

• Research Field: Engineering
• Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
• Research Field: Physics
• Research Field: Technology
• Languages: FRENCH
• Level: Basic
• Years of Research Experience: None

At a glance

Position type

PhD

Institution

CNRS

Department

Laboratoire de Physique

Research group

Not stated

Location

LYON 07, France, FR

Supervisor / contact person

Not stated

Funding

Funding not stated
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Not funded by a EU programme
This PhD contract is funded by the CNRS's Mission for Cross-cutting and Interdisciplinary Initiatives (MITI).

Duration

Not stated

Expected start

Not stated

Vacancy reference

EURAXESS-466111

Research focus

Discipline

Physics

Research area

Photovoltaics

Methods

Microscopy

Software

Not stated

Dates to know

Listed on FOSS Positions

18 Sep 2026

Original advertisement date

Not stated in the source

Application deadline

12 Oct 2026 · 23:59 UTC

Priority review date

Not stated

Last checked

18 Sep 2026

Last updated

18 Sep 2026

2026-10-12T23:59:00+00:00

How to apply

Application Deadline: 12 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (UTC)
Where to apply
Apply now

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR5672-DAVCAR-002/Default.aspx

Original sources

https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/jobs/466111 ↗

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR5672-DAVCAR-002/Default.aspx ↗