Please bring this PhD position to the attention of any interested
suitable postgraduate in Chemistry, Physics or Chemical Physics.
We seek to recruit a PhD student in the field of scanning probe control
of single molecules supervised by Dr Peter A. Sloan of the Nanoscience
group and the Centre for Graphene Science at the University of Bath.
The ability of the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to control matter
at the atomic level has led to the building of atomic scale structures
from the bottom by 'simply' pushing the atoms or molecules across a
surface. The STM can also manipulate molecules through electronic
excitation to induce molecular movement. All these modes of manipulation
require the tip of the STM to be exactly placed on top the target atom
or molecule. This PhD project aims to explore the dramatic recent
finding of nonlocal atomic manipulation; molecules at some distance, a
few 100 Å, from the STM tip can be induced to react to the injected
current.
This dicovery is still fresh and many open questions remain regarding
this novel technique: can this manipulation be enhanced by tuning the
properties of the molecule? What is the role of temperature, or of
dopant? Can we use electric fields within the surface to probe and
explore the current that flows out onto the surface, e.g., the lifetime
and mobility of the surface current? Is this effect specific to a
particular silicon surface, is it observed for other orientations or
even graphene?
Experiments will be performed with state-of-the-art scanning probe
microscopes (STM and AFM) at the University of Bath with collaborations
with University of Birmingham.
Funding Notes:
Applicants should have a background in the physical sciences and have or
expect to gain a First or Upper Second Class UK Honours degree, or the
equivalent from an overseas University. Possible funding sources include
the Doctoral Training Account (for UK applicants); for exceptional
overseas candidates, a University studentship or a Faculty scholarship.
References:
Contact Dr Peter A. Sloan ([log in to unmask]) for further information
on the project.
Apply online at http://www.bath.ac.uk/study/pgresearch/apply/
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