Research Associate (m/f/d)

Research Associate (m/f/d)

Institute of Photonics

Remuneration EG 13 TV-L

ID 20026WE12

Start of employment 01.10.2026

Application deadline 04.09.2026

Scope fulltime, fixed-term employment

The Institute of Photonics conducts research at the forefront of nanophotonics, metasurfaces, and nanoscale light-matter interactions. Our research combines advanced nanofabrication, optical spectroscopy, and theoretical design to develop active and nonlinear photonic nanostructures based on plasmonic, dielectric, and two-dimensional (2D) material platforms. Current research directions include tunable metasurfaces, exciton-photon coupling, nonlinear optical phenomena, and nanoscale light sources.

We are recruiting a PhD student to support our efforts within the DFG-funded UNIC project (ultrafast linear and nonlinear interactions for photoinduced chirality in nanophotonic devices). Together with partners from Brazil and Germany, this project aims to develop active chiral metasurfaces for ultrafast optical control. The research will combine the physics of photonic bound states in the continuum, dielectric metasurfaces, and layered van der Waals materials to investigate optically controlled circular dichroism and nonlinear light-matter interactions. We are seeking a highly motivated doctoral researcher with a background in physics, electrical engineering, materials science, or a related field. The candidate will design, fabricate, and optically characterize dielectric, monolithic, and hybrid metasurfaces within an international research collaboration.

YOUR TASKS

• Design and optimize dielectric or hybrid chiral metasurfaces based on bound states in the continuum concepts
• Fabricate nanophotonic structures using cleanroom processes, including electron-beam lithography, thin-film deposition, and dry etching
• Perform optical characterization including measurement of transmittance and reflectance, resonance quality factors, and circular dichroism
• Integrate layered materials and van der Waals heterostructures with nanophotonic structures