PhD student in Materials Physics Full-time

PhD Student In Materials Physics

Uppsala University hereby declares a PhD student position in Materials Physics, at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, to be open for application.

The research conducted at the Department of Physics and Astronomy encompasses a wide range of physics topics, distributed over nine divisions. The department is located in the Ångström laboratory and employs nearly 400 people, 100 of whom are doctoral students. It offers a broad physics curriculum to undergraduate and graduate students, participation in nationally and internationally leading projects for researchers, and opportunities for partnership with industry and various outreach activities.

The research within the division of Materials Physics, at Uppsala University, is centred around understanding the physical properties of materials by analysing their structure and composition across multiple length scales, from the atomic to the macroscopic, and linking them to functional properties. Core areas are magnetism, hydrogen, energy materials, soft matter and ion-solid interactions.

This PhD project aims to investigate how volatile fission products — such as xenon, krypton, iodine, and caesium — concentrate, diffuse, and redistribute within various types of nuclear fuel under different thermal conditions. The core experimental approach will involve ion implantation of these volatile elements into unirradiated nuclear fuel samples, followed by elemental depth profiling using ion-beam based measurement techniques. Subsequent thermal annealing experiments will be performed to study diffusion and retention behaviours, providing quantitative insights into elemental migration. To complement these studies, a suite of materials characterisation techniques will be applied to correlate the chemical and isotopic profiles with microstructural changes induced by implantation and heat treatment. The project will be carried out in close collaboration with experts from two Swedish universities and three major companies in the Swedish nuclear industry.

The doctoral project will be focused on obtaining new information on the diffusion of volatile elements in nuclear fuels. Specifically, this includes:

• optimising the methodology, in terms of accuracy and throughput;
• upgrading the infrastructure presently available, to enable implantation at elevated sample temperatures, as well as in-situ annealing;
• identifying trends in microstructural effects on diffusion;
• identifying trends in compositional effects on diffusion;
• working with atomistic models of diffusion.

To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must:

• hold a Master's (second-cycle) degree in a natural science discipline, or
• have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at Master's level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits,
• or have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way;
• be able to demonstrate excellent communication skills in English as well as excellent academic records;
• and have the personal capabilities necessary to carry out fully the duties of the appointment.

Appointment as a graduate student requires that the holder is admitted or will be admitted to PhD studies, where the applicant's ability to successfully complete the doctoral studies will be decisive.

It is considered advantageous a background in either a Physics, Material Science or equivalent; strong data analysis skills; past experiences in vacuum systems. Experience in materials research with ion beams is beneficial.

The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7 Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date as agreed. Placement: Uppsala.

For further information about the position, please contact: Robert Frost, rob.frost@physics.uu.se.

Applications should include a brief description of research interest and past experience, a CV, copies of degrees and official transcripts of records including grades, a copy of your Master thesis (or a draft thereof) and other relevant documents. The candidates should provide contact information for at least two references, including name, position, work address, email, and phone number.

Please submit your application by 9 March 2026, UFV-PA 2026/390.