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PhD Studentship in Aeronautics: Programmable matter from entangled architected materials (AE0088) Imperial College London in United Kingdom
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Available
Deadline
Jan 4, 2027
Country
United Kingdom
University
Imperial College London
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About this position
This PhD in the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London explores programmable matter through entangled architected materials—networks of curved filaments whose stiffness and toughness come from the way their elements interweave and contact one another. The project asks whether a material’s mechanical behaviour, normally fixed at manufacture, can instead be changed after fabrication by activating a weak deformation mode that ordinary service loads do not use.
You will study how small changes in contact and friction can produce very large changes in response, and how deliberately driving an orthogonal deformation mode alters the contact state to switch the network between a stiff, tough condition and a released condition. The work is framed around applications such as reconfigurable spacecraft trusses and wearable braces that can alternately stiffen or soften as needed.
The project is designed to combine experimental mechanics, computational modelling, and theory. You will fabricate specimens using multi-material 3D printing and a robotic fabrication cell, test them mechanically, and develop simulation code to model their behaviour. The research will build understanding of how contact and friction govern the two states of the network, what range of loading keeps the activating mode inactive, and what limits the achievable stiffness contrast.
You will join the AIM Lab, a new group in Aeronautics at Imperial, and as one of its first members you will help shape the group’s research direction. The position also offers opportunities to present at international conferences, including meetings in engineering science and nonlinear functionality, within Imperial’s broader research environment and Early Career Researcher Institute training.
Funding details
Available
What's required
Candidates are expected to have achieved or be expected to achieve a First class honours MEng/MSci or higher degree, or an international equivalent, in Aeronautics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related engineering or physical science subject. The project seeks applicants with experience of finite element analysis or writing simulation code, ideally for slender structures; fabrication or mechanical testing experience is an advantage; an interest in geometry and topology; no prior knowledge of textiles is expected; and willingness to work both in the laboratory and computationally.
How to apply
Visit the project page for the important application instructions. For admissions questions, consult the FAQ; if needed, email the PhD Administrator (Admissions).
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Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the provider.