ESRF - PhD student at ILL: studying multistate spintronics in magnetoelectric antiferromagnets

At a glance

Job title: PhD student at ILL: studying multistate spintronics in magnetoelectric antiferromagnets
Ref.: NS26-ILL25
Contract type: Time-limited contract
Salary range: 33.3K€
Expected deadline of applications: 03/05/2026
Publication start on Front Office : Site internet: 02/03/2026
Contract duration: 3 years (1 year renewable 2 years)

Context & Job description

Thesis subject: Beyond Binary: Multistate spintronics in magnetoelectric antiferromagnets.

You will join the diffraction group at ILL, Grenoble, France. The diffraction group operates several powder and single-crystal diffractometer dedicated to the determination of crystal and magnetic structures in condensed matter systems. You will be enrolled at the Technical University of Denmark, where you will spend 6 months.

The current slowdown in transistor density growth compared to Moore’s law has driven the emergence of spintronics, a field exploring next-generation devices that exploit not only the electron’s charge but also its spin and associated magnetic moment. Magnetoelectric materials are central to this research due to their remarkable properties: the control of electric polarization by a magnetic field and of magnetization by an electric field.

This project aims to explore controllable multi-state memory states in ferrotoroidic materials—ferrotoroidicity being the fourth ferroic order alongside ferromagnetism, ferroelectricity, and ferroelasticity. Recent studies on a magnetoelectric and antiferromagnetic orthophosphate single crystal demonstrated electric- and magnetic-field control of four distinct magnetic domains—an unprecedented achievement in bulk antiferromagnets. Switchable antiferromagnetic multistate devices hold strong potential for enabling a paradigm shift from charge-based to spin-based microelectronics.

We will investigate powder and single-crystal samples using complementary techniques, including bulk property measurements, unpolarized neutron diffraction, and spherical neutron polarimetry. The key goal of the project is to examine the conditions under which the multistate, controllable antiferromagnetic domains may be reproducibly switched.

Further information may be obtained from the ILL supervisor, Dr. Navid Qureshi (tel.: +33 4 76 20 7987, email: qureshi@ill.fr) and from the Technical University of Denmark supervisor, Associate Prof. Niels Bech Christensen (+45 30 30 11 32, email: nbch@fysik.dtu.dk).

Expected profile

• The ideal candidate has a documented background covering as many as possible of the following: Hands-on experience with neutron and x-ray diffraction, including (magnetic) crystallography; Theoretical understanding of neutron scattering and magnetism; Experience with density functional theory; Experience in statistics and programming.

• Manual skills and rigorous attention to detail are essential in this work environment.

• Degree allowing enrolment for a PhD (such as MSc, Master 2 de Recherche or equivalent) in physics or equivalent qualifications.

• Proficiency in English (A proof of upper-intermediate B2 level must be included in the application. Applicants originating from native-English-speaking countries can apply without the need for proof of level. An official degree conducted in English will be also accepted as a proof). If the applicant is unable to provide proof, an English test (free of charge) will be requested.

• Compliance with the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions mobility rule: candidates may not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the host institute’s country for more than twelve months in the three years immediately before the application deadline.

• The candidate must not already be working towards or in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment, and must already hold a master’s degree at the call deadline.

• Candidates must satisfy the conditions for enrolment in a doctoral programme.

Working conditions

The successful candidate will be enrolled in the doctoral school at the Technical University of Denmark and based full-time at the ILL (Grenoble, France), apart from a six month external stay at the Technical University of Denmark. Furthermore, a varied pedagogical training programme will be offered to the successful candidate throughout the 3-year PhD project.

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Company description

NEXTSTEP will train 36 young and enthusiastic researchers to exploit the unique and transversal capabilities of analytical research infrastructures in tackling the challenges associated with sustainable development and industrial competitiveness in the areas of “Health”, “Digital, Industry & Space”, “Climate, Energy and Mobility” and “Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment”, which are at the heart of Horizon Europe. Host laboratories: ESRF and ILL (France), FZJ (Germany), AREA (Italy), NTNU (Norway).