Postdoctoral position Oxford
Mike Glazer
Oxford University
Postdoctoral Assistantship in Ferroelectrics and Crystallography
Grade 7: £26,666 - £32,796
Crystallography and Properties of Lithium Niobate-Tantalate Solid Solutions:
towards novel optically isotropic, electrically polar materials
Applications are invited for a 3-year postdoctoral appointment beginning May
1 2008 in the Crystallography Group at the Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford
funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The overall aim of the project, which will be in collaboration with
Professor Pamela Thomas at the University of Warwick, is to investigate for
the first time the absolute crystal structures of the as yet overlooked
solid solutions of lithium niobate and lithium tantalate and to relate these
structures to their observable properties. We intend to investigate
particular crystal phases that are simultaneously optically isotropic but
electrically polar, a unique combination in a technologically-important
family of crystals. The project is a fundamental scientific investigation,
although there may be significant device applications in the longer term.
The research will involve carrying out birefringence imaging microscope
experiments to study the optical properties as a function of temperature,
pressure and optical wavelength. Crystal growth and specialized x-ray
structural analysis including absolute polarity determination using
anomalous x-ray scattering will be undertaken. In addition, X-ray diffuse
scattering will be used to investigate the importance of local structure to
the properties. Research at central facilities such as ISIS, ESRF and
Diamond will also be important in establishing structure-property
relationships in these highly unusual phases. The person appointed will be
based in Oxford but must be prepared also to work at the University of
Warwick when required in order to carry out joint experiments together with
a Ph.D. student of Professor Thomas.
Further details of the research programme can be obtained from Professor
Mike Glazer, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UK (email:
gla...@physics.ox.ac.uk).
The ideal candidate will hold a PhD in physics or a related subject and
preferably have experience of crystallography as applied to the study of
physical properties of crystals.
Letters of application including a CV and names and addresses of 2 referees
should be sent to The Personnel Officer, Department of Physics, Clarendon
Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU or by email:
pers...@physics.ox.ac.uk by 28 March 2008 quoting reference number
DK08-004. Further Particulars are available from
www.physics.ox.ac.uk/cm/vacancies.htm
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Professor A.M. Glazer
Department of Physics
University of Oxford
Parks Road
Oxford OX1 3PU
United Kingdom
Tel:Fax/ 44 1865 272290