Organisation/Company agencia estatal consejo superior de investigaciones cientificas Department Instituto de Ciencia de materiales de Madrid Research Field Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 30 Sep 2026 - 15:00 (Europe/Brussels) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Offer Starting Date 1 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

We are looking for a PhD student to deliver the first real-time, atomically resolved view of how energy is dissipated in single-atom contacts , the microscopic origin of friction and adhesion, which account for ~30% of integral energy losses. Working on our newly commissioned cryogenic aperture-less SNOM (Photon-STM lab), you will manipulate single molecules on inorganic surfaces: a picowatt-sensitive tuning-fork sensor will measure the energy dissipated as you lift the molecule off the surface, while time-resolved tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) reveals which vibrational modes are excited and where the energy flows. The project builds on techniques pioneered in our group — Ångstrom-scale TERS imaging and time-correlated single photon counting — and is complemented by non-equilibrium simulations (in collaboration with G. Vilhena's group), symbolic regression (AI-Lab), and international research stays.



The ultimate goal is to move from observing dissipation to designing it, chemically tuning molecules to block specific energy-loss channels. We offer an FPI–Severo Ochoa contract, cutting-edge infrastructure, a world-class international network, and training that will shape you into an independent researcher. The work will be developed at the Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM), a research institute of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC).

Where to apply

E-mail

Requirements

Research Field Physics Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Ultra high vacuum. Good interpersonal skills are required and good written and oral communications skills in English are highly desirable.

Specific Requirements

Scanning probe microscopies

Languages ENGLISH Level Good

Research Field Physics

Additional Information

Additional comments

ICMM is deeply commited to preserving equal opportunities and inclusiveness, a philosophy that our group fully supports.

The applicants should send:

- Motivation letter for this doctoral position (maximum one A4 page)

to this email address: . In the title (subject) of your email please write: PhD-2026-5. All materials should be in English and submitted in PDF format no later than 30 September 2026, 15:00 h.

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM-CSIC) Country Spain State/Province Madrid City Madrid Postal Code 28049 Street c/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3 Geofield

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📌 PhD position: Vibrational Fingerprints of Energy Dissipation (España)
🏢 Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas
📍 España