M/F : PhD Project: Spatiotemporal Control of Mechanical and Geometric Properties in Shape-Morphing Architected Materials

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Context:
The project is inspired by natural morphogenesis: plants and flowers deform and adapt to their environment in response to external stimuli. These movements are made possible by the complex, hierarchical architecture of plant tissues, as well as by biological processes that enable tissue growth. The project aims to reproduce these capabilities in synthetic materials for applications in soft robotics, deployable space structures, and minimally invasive surgery.

Objectives:
The aim of the PhD project is to study, both experimentally and theoretically, slender hyperelastic structures containing a network of fluid-filled cavities.

The first part of the work consists of mechanically characterizing these structures, with a particular focus on fluid–structure interactions when the object is subjected either to fluidic loading (pressure or flow rate imposed at an inlet of the network) or to mechanical loading (stretching, bending, or twisting).

The next objective is to design targeted mechanical responses by tailoring the geometry and connectivity of the cavity network. Indeed, mechanical loading can induce dissipative flows within the network, which in turn influence the homogenized mechanical response of the structure.

Desired Profile:
The ideal candidate should have strong skills in programming and mathematics, as well as knowledge of physics and differential geometry.

Your Work Environment

This PhD position is part of the ERC-funded Dynamorph project.

The successful candidate will join the Move team (Physics of Natural and Fluid Movements) within the Interdisciplinary Physics Laboratory (LIPhy, Grenoble), a joint research unit of the University Grenoble Alpes and the CNRS, located in the heart of the French Alps.

The project will be carried out under the supervision of Benjamin Dollet, CNRS Research Director, and Emmanuel Siéfert, CNRS Research Scientist. The candidate will benefit from the financial, technical, and human resources available within the team, both for conducting the research and for disseminating its results.

This project lies at the interface between experimental physics and theoretical modeling, with the goal of developing innovative materials with programmable properties. The PhD student will be responsible for all aspects of the project, including:

Designing and building experimental setups,
Conducting measurements and analyzing data,
Interpreting and discussing results,
Synthesizing findings and writing scientific articles.

The objective is to help the student become fully autonomous and take a leading role in their research project.

To support this process, a regular weekly progress meeting will be held. These meetings will provide an opportunity to review the work completed during the previous week and to define the research plan and objectives for the week ahead.

Constraints and risks

N/A

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

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.

CNRS

The research professions