Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne - EPFL
Doctoral Thesis in Materials Science
at EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) awarded each academic year

Introduction
Recent experiments have indicated that very small structures (on the scale of those encountered in micro- and nano-technology) support higher stresses than larger samples of the same material. However, manufacture and testing of samples at these sizes is challenging, and the effect has yet to be clearly demonstrated and thoroughly investigated.

The Position
The Laboratory for Mechanical Metallurgy at the Institute of Materials of EPFL has an opening for a doctoral thesis sponsored by the Swiss National Science Foundation. This project aims to produce, using a novel process, individual, custom-shaped, cast "microsamples" of single-crystalline aluminium only a few micrometres in diameter that can be tested individually. Testing the samples produced using this new approach will allow the investigation of the mechanical properties of metals at very small scales, and will contribute to the understanding of size-effects in dislocational plasticity.

The stipends for doctoral candidate positions at EPFL are very competitive and the nominal duration of the position is 3 years.

The Candidate
Applicants should have, or expect to soon receive, a degree in Materials science or related discipline (such as Physics) from a world-class university. While French language skills are not essential, a willingness to learn is a strong advantage.

How to Apply
Candidates should apply for admission to the Materials Science and Engineering doctoral program (all forms and information are at http://phd.epfl.ch/page55512.html) and send an email with their CV and a covering letter to Dr. Frédéric Diologent at frederic.diologent@epfl.ch.

For additional information on the Laboratory for Mechanical Metallurgy and EPFL in general, please consult the web site http://lmm.epfl.ch/.