Research Fellow - School of Physics and Astronomy - 102869 - Grade 7

Position Details

School of Physics and Astronomy

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £34,980 to £44,263 with potential progression once in post to £46,974

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to August 2026

Closing date: 15th April 2024

UK and International travel may be required for this role

Background

The Condensed Matter Physics research group at the University of Birmingham invite applications for a Research Fellow position for an EPSRC-funded project entitled, “Elasto-superconductivity: a pathway to devising new unconventional superconductors.” The successful applicant will work with Dr. Clifford Hicks on development of new experimental apparatus for applying anisotropic stress, and to apply that apparatus to tune superconducting materials into new, unexplored regimes.

Dr. Hicks has led development of apparatus to apply extreme uniaxial stresses to correlated electron materials. His group has discovered that elastic strains exceeding 1% can be applied to a range of electronic materials. To picture that, imagine taking a metrestick made of granite, and squeezing it until it is 99 cm long. This effort has led to a number of high-profile publications. Science 355, eaaf9398 (2017): the superconductor Sr2RuO4 can be tuned through a Lifshitz transition, at which its Tc doubles. Science 362, 1040 (2018): uniaxial stress induces charge density wave order in YBa2Cu3O6.67, and this charge order drives a steep decrease in Tc. Science 382, 447 (2023): the Young's modulus of Sr2RuO4 falls by ≈10% at the Lifshitz transition, showing that electronic structure can have a strong effect on elastic properties. 

In this position, we will work together to continue these developments and, in effect, to create new superconducting materials through uniaxial stress. The appointment will be, initially, for a two-year term. The position comes with an allowance to cover international travel and computing. 

Application process

Applications should include a CV (max 2 pages) with a list of publications (as long as necessary), and a one-page statement describing your research interests. That statement should be in two parts. In the first, describe the research you have done, and why you chose to do the research that you did. In the second, describe your plans for the future: skills you would like to gain, and areas you would like to explore. Applicants should also provide contact details for 3 referees. Complete applications should be received by 15 April 2024 for full consideration.

In the form, you will get a question asking to specify your reasons to apply. You should just point to your uploaded documents.

Environment

The Condensed Matter Physics group at the University of Birmingham has a long history. Prof. W. F. Vinen performed pioneering studies on circulation quantisation and quantum turbulence in superfluid helium, and Prof. E. M. Forgan explored high-temperature superconductivity through neutron, X-ray, and muon experiments. We have four faculty engaged in experiments: Drs. Mingee Chung (NMR spectroscopy), Matthew Coak (2D materials and high pressure) Igor Markovic (angle-resolved photoemission), and Clifford Hicks. Within the Condensed Matter group we take a highly collaborative approach to experiments, allowing students and research fellows to feel themselves part of a larger group, to have multiple contact points when they want advice, and to gain access to a larger range of equipment. 

The School of Physics and Astronomy is a world-leading physics department, excelling in both research and teaching. Our physics research was recently ranked top in the UK for 4-star-category research, and 4th by GPA, by the Research Excellence Framework 2021. The 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Professor Mike Kosterlitz and Professor David Thouless jointly for their work into the discoveries of the properties of matter, work which started when they were at Birmingham together. The 2017 Nobel Prize was awarded for the detection of gravitational waves, in which Birmingham staff played a key role. The School is an excellent environment for an upcoming academic. 

The School’s research portfolio is wide-ranging, and covers three principal themes: Quantum Matter; Particle and Nuclear Physics; and Astronomy and Experimental Gravity. It has over 120 academic and research staff together with 120 graduate students with around 50 technical and clerical support staff. 

The School of Physics and Astronomy is an Institute of Physics Juno Champion since 2014 and holder of the Athena SWAN Silver Award. Both initiatives recognise the School’s commitment to promote diversity and equality, and to encourage better practice for all members of the community, whilst also working towards developing an equitable working culture in which all students and staff can achieve their full potential. We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. We are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.

Role Summary

• Lead the execution of one or more experimental measurement projects, as agreed in discussion with the principal investigator.
• Design and implement new experimental apparatus.
• Analyse and interpret research findings.
• Write research papers describing these findings, and present findings in conference talks, both domestic and international.
• Work productively with other members of the research group, and also other members of the wider Condensed Matter Group and School of Physics and Astronomy.

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods 
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews*
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters*
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research*
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines*
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

* These indicative responsibilities may also be included in a research role at grade 6.

The specific experiment(s) to be done will be selected in consultation with the successful applicant. Possibilities include:

• Compress Sr2RuO4 along its c axis. As reported in Nature Communications 13, 4596 (2022), a compressive stress of 3.2 GPa has been reached. At a compressive stress somewhat above this, the topology of the largest Fermi surface is expected to transition from electron-like to hole-like, potentially leading to profound changes in electronic properties.
• Compress Sr3Ru2O7 along its c axis. The metamagnetic transition at 8 T, reported e.g. in Science 306, 1154 (2004), is a consequence of a flat region in k-space being brought to the Fermi level. What would happen if this were done with strain rather than magnetic field? Could this be the bulk equivalent of the twisted-bilayer graphene experiment?
• Explore competing phases in YBa2Cu3O6+x and other cuprate superconductors through application of uniaxial stress: an extension of measurements first reported in Science 362, 1040 (2018).

Doing these experiments will involve construction and testing of new uniaxial stress apparatus, with the goals of increasing the maximum stress that can be reached, improving measurement precision, and reducing the sample size. Reducing the sample size is essential because it allows larger stresses to be reached, and improves sample homogeneity. This position is therefore suitable for applicants who have or wish to develop practical engineering skills, along with their knowledge of Condensed Matter Physics. 

The successful applicant will be expected to lead, with advice, all aspects of the selected experiment: construction and setup of the apparatus, operating the apparatus and collecting data, analysing the data, and presenting the results in both conference talks and in peer-reviewed publications.

The successful applicant will also be expected to interact productively with doctoral students in the group, and offer guidance on their projects. 

Person Specification

• PhD degree (or near to completion) in Condensed Matter Physics or in a related topic.
• High level analytical capability.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly.
• A strong capability with experiment setup. Practical, hands-on experiment will be vital to successful completion of the projects described above. Experience with original design of apparatus is a plus, though not an absolute requirement. 
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project.
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort.

Informal enquiries to Clifford Hicks, email:  

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy . You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone  on our website .