PhD project PLUTO: PLasmonic Ultra-fast Tunneling Optoelectronics Université Paris-Saclay in France

The LIGHTinPARIS Doctoral Programme at Institut d’Optique Graduate School / Université Paris-Saclay is offering a fully funded PhD project titled PLUTO: PLasmonic Ultra-fast Tunneling Optoelectronics. This project is part of the programme’s 3rd call for PhD fellowships and is one of the doctoral projects supported by the Institute for the Sciences of Light in the Paris-Saclay ecosystem.

PLUTO is focused on molecular-scale plasmonic tunneling junctions, specifically metal–molecule–metal systems with tunable barriers for next-generation optoelectronic devices. The research addresses fundamental and applied questions in plasmonics and nanooptics, including electrically driven nanosources, tunneling-induced plasmon generation, non-classical emission statistics, intermittent emission, overbias emission, and spatial correlations in light emission. The project is positioned at the interface of photonics, quantum technologies, nanophotonics, materials chemistry, and advanced nanoscale characterization.

The supervising academic is Eric LE MOAL in the Nanophysics@Surfaces team at the ISMO laboratory. The programme also includes a 3i dimension, and for this project the secondment is international, with a 12-month stay at the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands. This gives the doctoral fellow exposure to interdisciplinary and international research training within the MSCA COFUND framework.

The position is fully funded under the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND programme and co-financed by Université Paris-Saclay and non-academic partners. Employment conditions include a full-time 36-month French doctoral employment contract, a minimum gross monthly salary of 2400 EUR, a 200 EUR monthly travel and mobility allowance, and coverage of annual doctoral school enrolment fees for three years. Fellows also benefit from training in research, innovation, and transferable skills, and may gain additional professional experience such as teaching.

Eligibility is aligned with MSCA rules. Applicants must hold, or complete by the deadline, a Master’s degree or equivalent qualification. They must not already hold a PhD and must respect the MSCA mobility rule, meaning they cannot have lived or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months in the three years preceding the deadline. A good B2 level of English is required; French is not required.

For this project, the preferred background is in physics, physical chemistry, or chemistry, with experimental experience in physics and/or chemistry. Helpful experience includes optics, nanophotonics, plasmonics, chemical synthesis, cleanroom micro/nanofabrication, electrical characterization, optical microscopy, quantum optics, and scanning probe microscopy. Recruitment is subject to security clearance requirements in French science and technology research facilities.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the LIGHTinPARIS portal. Before applying, candidates should verify eligibility, review the thesis subject, and contact the thesis supervisor to discuss the scientific background required. The call deadline is 21 September 2026 at 12:00 noon Paris time, and the registration deadline to start an application is 15 September 2026. Further details and the official guide for applicants are available on the LIGHTinPARIS website.