PhD Candidate (M/F) in materials science
New
- FTC PhD student / Offer for thesis
- 36 month
- BAC+5
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 des sciences chimiques de Rennes
Contract Type
FTC PhD student / Offer for thesis
Working hHours
Full Time
Workplace
35042 RENNES
Contract Duration
36 month
Date of Hire
01/11/2026
Remuneration
2300 € gross monthly
Apply Application Deadline : 22 July 2026 23:59
Job Description
Thesis Subject
Robust Phase Change Materials for Advanced Computing Technologies
This research project brings together the Institute of Chemical Sciences of Rennes (University of Rennes/CNRS, France) and the New Frontier of Sound (NewFos) at the University of Arizona (USA) to develop a new generation of phase change materials (PCMs) to support advanced computing platforms for artificial intelligence (AI). These materials aim to overcome the current limitations of neuromorphic and analog quantum computing architectures by offering unprecedented stability and energy efficiency.
Context and Challenges
The rise of AI and quantum computing requires robust and high-performance hardware platforms. Current devices suffer from decoherence, property drift, and fabrication complexity, which hinder their large-scale deployment. PCMs, capable of switching between amorphous and crystalline states with strong contrasts in electrical and optical properties, represent a promising alternative. However, their natural aging causes a drift in resistivity or elasticity that compromises the reliability of neuromorphic and acoustic devices.
Project Objective
The central objective is to design a new class of “ultrastable” PCMs, insensitive to the volumetric relaxation responsible for aging. By exploiting the liquid-liquid transition observed in certain chalcogenide systems, the project aims to adjust the composition to reach a region where natural aging processes would be thermodynamically suppressed.
Your Work Environment
This thesis will be jointly supervised by Xianghua Zhang, Research Director at the CNRS in UMR 6226, Institute of Chemical Sciences of Rennes/Glass and Ceramics team, and Pierre Lucas, Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Arizona, USA. The location for this job is Rennes with the possibility of travel to the United States.
Constraints and risks
wearing standard personal protective equipment in a materials chemistry laboratory
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 | UMR6226-XIAZHA-003 |
|---|---|
| CN Section(s) / Research Area | Materials, nanomaterials and processes chemistry |
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.
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