Job openings
Currently, we have 3 PhD positions available. Below we provide a bird’s-eye view of them. Also, we are often looking for Post-Doc researchers. Are you curious? Drop us a line!
The breakdown of a Classical Law
Deadline: January 15th, 2026
As undergraduates, we are taught that heat diffuses like a fluid of particles, obeying Fourier’s Law: the steeper the temperature gradient, the stronger the heat flux. Although Fermi predicted the breakdown of this law decades ago, the idea remained a theoretical curiosity until now. This has changed. Recent breakthroughs have shown that heat carriers (phonons) can retain coherence even at room temperature. This year, our group reported phonon-interference phenomena at ambient conditions for the first time. This discovery marks a paradigm shift: heat is not merely a particle-like diffusive process, it can behave as a coherent wave.
This shift radically changes our ability to control thermal energy. We are no longer limited to simply dissipating heat. We can exploit interference to suppress energy flow, diffraction to steer thermal currents around obstacles, and focusing to concentrate heat. This unlocks a fundamentally new degree of control over thermal transport and non-equilibrium thermodynamics.
The opportunity
We are looking for three exceptional physicists for fully funded PhD positions in our group. You will work at the interface of theory, simulation, and experiment, helping to build the foundations of a new wave-based picture of heat transport.
Your work will combine quantum-derived atomic-interactions, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics, and close collaboration with experimental teams. As simulation and experiment converge, you will help develop the general theoretical framework that explains these phenomena, shaping the future of non-equilibrium physics.
Foundations of coherent heat transport
Develop the fundamental physics of interference, diffraction, and localization in thermal energy transport. Your work will establish the basis for phononic circuits and wave-based thermal control (thermal diodes, capacitors, switches, etc.).
Coherent Transport in 2D Materials
Translate these coherence-driven control mechanisms into atomically thin materials, as part of a European Excellence Project (Heat2Defect). Working hand-in-hand with the experimental group of Prof. Ares , you will help create realizable platforms for coherent heat transport, and push thermal imaging techniques toward the atomic scale (yes… we know the conceptual tension there).
Functional Thermal Control in Mxenes
Develop thermal switching in MXenes through ion-controlled modulation of phonon pathways, in collaboration with Prof. Muñoz as part of a European Excellence Project (Thermo2Deal). Your work will uncover how electrically driven ions modulate heat transport laying the ground for the next-generation thermoelectric and waste-heat recovery technologies.
How to apply?
We seek candidates with a Degree in Physics (score higher than 8.0/10) who will finish their Master’s no later than July 2026. A first selection will be made on January 15th. Please send your CV and academic grades to Dr. Guilherme Vilhena at guilherme.vilhena@csic.es.
