PhD position in Nonlinear Mechanics available
The Emergent Complexity in Physical Systems Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne seeks to fill a PhD position and invites applications by highly motivated, curiosity-driven early career researchers to work in the field of
– complex physics / nonlinear mechanics (theory) –
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne EPFL is a top-ranked international bilingual English / French speaking research university located in one of the most beautiful areas of continental Europe.
Our Laboratory studies nonlinear phenomena in mechanical systems using several aspects of continuum mechanics and transport theory entwined with dynamical systems methods and pattern-formation theory. Specific research topics include
- laminar-turbulent patterns in flows transitioning to turbulence,
- the buckling of elastic shells, and
- the nonlinear dynamics of liquid-liquid interfaces at small Reynolds numbers.
We combine analytical methods and precision experiments with large scale computer simulations. Thereby we solve non-linear partial differential equations describing mechanical systems and perform continuation and bifurcation studies in millions of coupled degrees of freedom.
Your profile
The PhD candidate should have an excellent Master’s degree (or comparable) in physics, applied mathematics or in a related field. The ideal candidate will have a background in nonlinear dynamics, statistical physics or fluid dynamics. Since the candidate will contribute to developing numerical codes, programming experience with C++ is required. Knowledge in professional software design (object oriented programming, working in teams, unit testing, …) and experience with numerical methods for solving nonlinear PDEs is highly desired. Experience with MPI based parallelization is a plus. We expect excellent communication and scientific writing skills as well as the ability to work independently.
Our offer
We offer excellent working conditions within a young and energetic team, access to state-of-the-art HPC computing facilities and generous travel funds. The position is fully funded with a highly competitive full time salary and social employer charges.
How to apply
To apply, please send your application (including CV, transcripts, motivation statement and – if available – GRE / TOEFL scores) along with contact information of up to three references as a single PDF file to
Your motivation statement (max 3 pages) should describe your current academic and future career plans, your research interests and how you imagine these to fit into the Emergent Complexity in Physical Systems Laboratory. Please cite relevant academic, professional and personal experiences that influenced your decision to apply.
Well-motivated and highly-qualified students from all countries will be considered. We seek to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourage women to apply.
Review of applications will begin in August 2017 and continue until all positions have been filled.