Ph.D. Candidate in Lanthanide Coordination Chemistry for Quantum Technologies (M/F)

Job Description

Thesis Subject

The position will involve synthesizing lanthanide-based coordination complexes with ligands that exhibit 3-fold symmetry, developed in the laboratory. The synthesis of the appropriate ligands will be carried out under the supervision of Dr. Grégory Danoun, a researcher at the laboratory and specialist in organic synthesis, with the support of an engineering assistant (M/F). The doctoral student (M/F) will be responsible for synthesizing the complexes with the original lanthanides and characterizing them using multiple methods, including X-ray diffraction, magnetism, EPR, NMR, UV-Vis-NIR, and infrared/Raman spectroscopy. The complexes will then be incorporated and/or grafted onto high-surface-area silica surfaces with low OH group content or mesoporous silicas under the supervision of Dr. Victor Castaing and Dr. Thierry Gacoin, researchers at the Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics at École Polytechnique. The new materials containing lanthanide complexes within silica at different concentrations will be characterized by EPR in collaboration with several project partners (Paris, Grenoble, Strasbourg, Marseille). In coordination with other group members, the doctoral student (M/F) will ensure the proper maintenance and operation of the synthesis labs in accordance with recommendations from funding agencies and laboratory management and may be called upon to supervise undergraduate and graduate students.
The proposed activities will therefore be as follows:
- Develop the organic synthesis of tripod ligands suitable for lanthanides
- Synthesize lanthanide complexes (Gd, Er, Yb) with organic ligands.
- Characterize the complexes using routine methods such as X-ray diffraction, magnetism, EPR, NMR, UV-Vis-NIR, and infrared/Raman spectroscopy.
- Prepare silica supports using appropriate methods
- Graft and/or incorporate lanthanide complexes into silica supports at different concentrations
- Participate in non-standard characterizations of complexes and materials: magnetism, EPR, and luminescence.
- Participate in the group's international collaborations; the Ph.D. student will be required to visit foreign laboratories in Europe.
- Conduct scientific literature reviews related to the research topic.
- Prepare written reports and communicate results in accordance with the funding agency's guidelines. - Participate in research seminars.
- Draft the results of the research into scientific documents suitable for patent filing or publication.
- Supervise master's and bachelor's students in the research group.
- Ensure the proper maintenance and operation of the synthesis rooms in accordance with the recommendations of the funding agencies and the laboratory management.
- Participate in the maintenance of the research group's and laboratory's equipment.

Your Work Environment

Dr. Grégory Nocton's group is based at the Molecular Chemistry Laboratory (UMR 9168), a joint CNRS-École Polytechnique research unit (www.organo-f-synthesis.fr). The group focuses on lanthanide and actinide complexes and has secured funding for quantum technologies (MolQIf, PEPR / ANR, https://www.pepr-quantique.fr/projet/molqif/) for the synthesis of lanthanide-based coordination complexes (Yb, Er, Gd), which will then be incorporated into silica-type supports using various methods (adsorption, covalent grafting, etc.). These grafting processes will be carried out in collaboration with Dr. Thierry Gacoin's group at the Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics (https://pmc.polytechnique.fr/spip.php?article108). The objective of the proposed MolQIf project is to explore the potential of paramagnetic complexes (PCs) to serve as robust solid-state quantum bits (qubits) for quantum information processing (QIP). We aim to leverage the flexibility and versatility of lanthanide complexes to design and synthesize molecular crystals composed of molecules with targeted electronic and nuclear spin architectures, suitable for the demonstration of quantum logic gates, optical quantum storage, and quantum telecommunications.

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

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