PhD offer (M/F): Probing the molecular organization of soapy interfaces by non-linear optics
New
- FTC PhD student / Offer for thesis
- 36 month
- Doctorate
This offer is available in English version
This offer is open to people with a document recognizing their status as a disabled worker.
Offer at a glance
The Unit
Institut Lumière Matière
Contract Type
FTC PhD student / Offer for thesis
Working hHours
Full Time
Workplace
69622 VILLEURBANNE
Contract Duration
36 month
Date of Hire
01/10/2026
Remuneration
2300 € gross monthly
Apply Application Deadline : 24 July 2026 23:59
Job Description
Thesis Subject
The physical and chemical properties of fluid interfaces decorated by surface-active species (surfactants, proteins, particles) are central to food engineering, cosmetics, sustainable materials, and biomedical applications. Tuning surfactant nature or concentration drastically changes foam and bubbly flow properties—bubble velocity, coalescence, foam rheology, stability. While interfacial thermodynamics and mechanics are usually probed at macroscopic or mesoscopic scales, they are assumed to depend on microscopic interfacial structure (chemical composition, molecular organization of the first molecular layers). Quantitative, dynamic characterization of interfaces at the molecular level, and its link to interfacial thermodynamics and mechanics, remains limited. The ANR MS-DOS project (2026–2030) aims to fill this gap by explicitly connecting the molecular organization of surfactant-covered liquid surfaces to their thermodynamic and mechanical properties.
This PhD will use Second Harmonic Generation (SHG), a second-order nonlinear optical technique that is inherently surface-sensitive since it is forbidden in centrosymmetric media and thus only generated where symmetry is broken, as at interfaces. SHG intensity depends on the number of adsorbed molecules, their orientational distribution, and the local electrostatic environment, and has proven sensitive to amphiphile concentration and organization at interfaces. The candidate will study the organization and dynamics of surfactants at soapy interfaces using an optical setup that is already operational and will be adapted during the course of the thesis to enable phase-resolved measurements and to investigate various interfacial dynamics.
Your Work Environment
The candidate will join the Surfaces and Interfaces team at the Institute of Light and Matter (ILM), interacting with PhD students, postdocs, and master's students on related topics. We seek a motivated candidate holding a master's in physics, with skills in ultrafast/nonlinear optics or soft matter and physical chemistry of interfaces.
Constraints and risks
The risks are those associated with the use of pulsed lasers.
Compensation and benefits
Compensation
2300 € gross monthly
Annual leave and RTT
44 jours
Remote Working practice and compensation
Pratique et indemnisation du TT
Transport
Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€
About the offer
| Offer reference | UMR5306-EMMBEN-001 |
|---|---|
| CN Section(s) / Research Area | Atoms and molecules, optics and lasers, hot plasmas |
About the CNRS
The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.
Create your alert
Don't miss any opportunity to find the job that's right for you. Register for free and receive new vacancies directly in your mailbox.