Postdoc - In-situ analysis of metal-halide perovskite synthesis

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.


Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.




Do you understand what it means to unravel complex synthesis pathways of metal-halide perovskites with X-rays? Are you curious about how things work on an atomic level, looking for a challenge and want to have an impact on our green energy transition? Then this might be the right project for you!

Background
The synthesis of highest efficiency metal-halide perovskites (MHPs) for solar cell applications is a fine tuned, sensitive and complex process with small processing windows.

The complex interaction of solvents, additives, precursors, substrates with intermediates and atmosphere determine the morphology, optoelectronic quality and to some extent the stability of the produced films in an almost “black box” process. A thorough understanding of the synthesis process, its processing windows and how they can be tuned is mandatory for up-scaled production.

Your Project will be embedded in a Horizon Europe funded consortium of 15 Universities, Institutes and companies for a joint effort to develop perovskite solar cell technology with industrially compatible processes for large areas. Your project will be an important building block for our overall success: Understanding the complex synthesis processes for highly efficient metal-halide perovskites on an atomic level will enable us to rationally tune them for large area deposition of uniform, highly efficient and stable materials.

Specifically, you will get optimized process recipes from our partners and investigate formation processes in-situ by means of multimodal XAS-XRD-XEOL. With these insights you will try to unravel synthesis pathways and rationalize processing windows in a larger parameter space. Your insight for optimization will be fed back to the process implementation at our partners to finally yield homogeneous, highly efficient and stable material on larger mini-module and industrial scales. There is a high potential for high impact publication of project results and substantial research career development.

Your team consists of technique experts in XAS and XRD and already has strong expertise in the investigation of synthesis processes of especially MHPs. Additionally you will work closely together with material and process experts in our research consortium.

Qualifications

- demonstrated expertise in metal-halide perovskites and their synthesis
- demonstrated experience of one or several of the synchrotron techniques (XAS, XRD/GIWAXS, XEOL/optical spectroscopy), including analysis methods. This should ideally be coupled with in-situ measurements.

Experience of interdisciplinary research is valuable. Significant contributions to peer-reviewed publications in the above directions are considered a strong plus.

As a person, you are creative, thorough and have a structured approach. When selecting among the applicants we will assess their ability to solve complex scientific problems, independently drive their work forward, collaborate with others and have a professional scientific approach. You should have the demonstrated ability to work independently as well as in a team, an excellent command of spoken and written English and well-developed communication skills.

Eligibility
Appointment to the position of postdoc requires that the applicant has a PhD or an international degree deemed equivalent to a PhD, within the subject of the position, completed no more than three years before the application deadline. Under special circumstances the PhD can have been completed previous to the aforementioned three years.

What we offer
When you join our MAX IV team, you step into a world of front edge science. We make the invisible visible by supporting scientists from all over the world, generating scientific results for the benefit of society. We offer you a multicultural work environment with great opportunities for personal development with respect for a healthy work-life balance.

Would you like to work in a challenging and supporting environment? Then join us and take the opportunity to make a real difference!

Further information
This is a full-time, fixed-term employment. A postdoctoral fellow is employed under a period
of at least two years and at most three years. The period of employment is determined in accordance with the agreement “Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning som postdoktor-2022-02-01” (“Agreement on fixed-term employment as a post-doctoral fellow, 2022-02-01”) 

For further information, please visit:
https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-lund-university/work-lund-university
http://www.sweden.se
https://www.maxiv.lu.se/about-us/careers/compensation-benefits/

Application: The application must contain the following:

1) Cover letter, briefly describing your motivation for applying for this position and the earliest possible employment date (max. 1 page) 
2) Curriculum vitae (CV)
3) List of up to 3 most relevant publications for this position including a description of the own contribution and relevance to the position (max. 10 lines for each publication)
4) Transcript of PhD degree, including courses taken during PhD studies (if applicable)
5) List of publications
6) Research statement describing your past and current research and future research plans (max. 1 page)
7) Contact information for two references

On call services may apply.



MAX IV is a Swedish national large-scale research laboratory hosted by Lund University. It provides scientists from Sweden as well as internationally, with state-of-the-art instrumentation for research in areas such as engineering, physics, structural biology, chemistry and nanotechnology. It will receive up to 2 000 scientists annually, conducting ground-breaking experiments in materials and life sciences using the brilliant X-ray light.

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