PhD Position: Low-Temperature Transport and Transmission Electron Microscopy of Silicon-Aluminum Interfaces Université Grenoble Alpes in France

This PhD project is part of the QuanG2 doctoral programme coordinated by Université Grenoble Alpes and hosted in Grenoble, France, within the Grenoble quantum research ecosystem.

The topic lies at the interface of solid-state physics, nanofabrication, quantum devices, and advanced electron microscopy. The project investigates silicon-aluminum interfaces formed through an exchange reaction between Al and Si, a material system of interest for quantum technologies because it can create atomically abrupt superconducting/semiconducting interfaces and short semiconducting segments between monocrystalline aluminum contacts. Such structures are relevant for studying Josephson effects, Coulomb blockade, and other quantum-size phenomena at low temperature.

The doctoral work focuses on fabricating silicon membranes starting from silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates, with an experimental workflow linked to collaborators at TU Vienna. The same fabrication process used in the Vienna group will be adapted to create membrane structures compatible with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization. The candidate will then study the resulting Al-Si interfaces using low-temperature transport measurements and correlate those results with TEM analysis of the same interface, including abruptness, shape, and crystalline quality.

Beyond standard TEM characterization, the project may include in-situ heating in the TEM to follow the Al propagation reaction, in-situ biasing experiments, electron-beam-induced current measurements, and 4D STEM to visualize internal fields, including those associated with Schottky contacts. A further goal is to explore whether low-temperature transport and TEM can be combined directly in the TEM using a cryogenic in-situ biasing holder.

The student’s activities will include silicon membrane fabrication with support from the supervisor and nanofab staff, contributing to device conception and collaborating on fabrication at TU Vienna, performing low-temperature transport measurements, carrying out TEM experiments with supervision, and analysing and interpreting the data.

Applicants should hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in Physics by the application deadline and must not already possess a doctoral degree. The call follows the MSCA mobility rule: applicants must not have spent more than 12 months in France during the 36 months before the deadline and must not be current employees of the host laboratory. There are no nationality or age restrictions.

Applications must be submitted via the QuanG2 online application platform by 7 September 2026 at 12:00 PM (Paris time). After the deadline, applications will be checked for eligibility, then reviewed in pre-selection in mid-October 2026, followed by online interviews in late October and in-person interviews in Grenoble in early December 2026.

This is a fully funded, three-year PhD position with funding provided through Horizon Europe – COFUND. The post is an excellent fit for candidates interested in experimental condensed-matter physics, low-temperature transport, nanofabrication, semiconductor-superconductor interfaces, and advanced TEM-based structural and electronic characterization.