Recruitment

Institution: Institute of Low Temperature and Structural Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences
Position: PhD student – scholarship holder in the NCN research project (two positions)
Scientific discipline: chemical sciences
Date of announcement: 11.10.2023
Application deadline: 10.11.2023
Date of competition settlement: up to 7 days after the end of the job interviews
Date of commencement of education and participation in the project: 01.12.2023
Link to WSD IPAN website: http://wsdipan.intibs.pl  
Link to INTiBS PAB website: http://intibs.pl

Key words: luminescence thermometry, structural phase transitions, optical spectroscopy, lanthanide ions

Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences (WDS IPAS) announces a special recruitment for a two PhD students – scholarship holders in the research project: "Luminescence thermometry based on a first-order structural phase transition ", carried out on behalf of the National Science Center (grant no. UMO-2022/45/B/ST5/01629) in the Division Biomedical Physicochemistry of the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Wroclaw.

Recruitment is conducted in accordance with the Rules of Recruitment to the Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of Polish Academy of Sciences for the 2023/2024 academic year   
( https://www.intibs.pl/goto/WDS_recruitment_2023-24  ).

Requirements for the candidate

In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to the Wroclaw School of Doctoral Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, a candidate should:

• hold a professional degree of Master of Science with chemical sciences or related majors entitling to study at a doctoral school,
• be ready to start education at WDS IPAS and to participate in the project from 01.12.2023

Doctoral Student Responsibilities

Synthesis of inorganic materials doped with lanthanide ions          

Measurements of the spectroscopic properties of the obtained materials as a function of temperature

Analysis and interpretation of the obtained results

Preparation of scientific publications presenting the obtained results

Presentation of results at scientific conferences

Scholarship

The doctoral scholarship will be paid a maximum of 4 years in the monthly amount of:

4000 PLN net (5000 PLN gross),

The scholarship will be paid after deduction of all components, in accordance with the applicable regulations and in accordance with the Act of 20 July 2018 Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of 2018, item 1668, as amended).

Joining the competition

The recruitment process is described at the link https://www.intibs.pl/en/for-students/rules-of-recruitment.html

Candidates wishing to enter the competition should submit all documents specified in the Rules of Recruitment to the Wrocław Doctoral School of Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences for the 2023/2024 academic year ( https://www.intibs.pl/goto/WDS_recruitment_2023-24  )

Candidates' applications for admission to the School must be submitted by 10.11.2023

a) by email to the address (preferred method of application); however, the original documents should be delivered before the studies start (a failure to meet this requirement will result in the candidate’s name being removed from the list of doctoral students),

b) in person at the School’s Secretariat Office at the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 2 Okólna St. in Wrocław, from 9 am to 3 pm

or

c) by registered mail or courier (the date on which the Secretariat Office received the documents is considered to be the delivery date) to the following address: WSD IPAN, ul. Okólna 2, 50-422 Wrocław.

Description of the research project and the PhD thesis

The PhD thesis will be carried out within the framework of the NCN Opus2022/45/B/ST5/01629 project entitled "Luminescent thermometry based on first-order structural phase transition". As part of its implementation, inorganic luminescent materials doped with lanthanide ions and exhibiting a first-order structural phase transition will be designed. The possibility of exploiting changes in the spectroscopic properties of phosphors observed under temperature changes makes it possible to develop luminescent thermometers. With the remote temperature readout offered by such thermometers, it is possible to thermally image, for example, biological systems or mechanical components in a reduced invasiveness manner. In order to increase the reliability and accuracy of temperature reading using luminescent thermometers, materials and solutions are being sought to achieve high relative sensitivity while maintaining high emission brightness. To meet these requirements, this project proposes a new and unique solution based on the use of lanthanide ion-doped phosphors in which a temperature-induced first-order structural phase transition is observed. This effect, associated with a change in point symmetry around the lanthanide ion, significantly affects the configuration of its energy levels and thus its spectroscopic properties. Therefore, in the temperature range around the phase transition temperature, the observed spectacular changes in the shape of the emission spectrum make it possible to develop a ratiometric luminescence thermometer with high sensitivity. The project plans to develop luminescent thermometers operating in different temperature ranges by optimizing the composition of the host material, dopant ion concentration and nanoparticle size. The ongoing research will provide important information on the influence of the first-order structural phase transition on the spectroscopic properties of nanoscale lanthanide ion-doped luminophores. The potential of the obtained results is expected to go far beyond luminescence thermometry.

Additional information

For additional information, please contact the project manager Lukasz Marciniak ().

Personal information

Candidates' personal data are collected and processed by the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Wrocław in accordance with the information on personal data processing available at https://bip.intibs.pl/artykuly/173/rodo .