진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

In the last decade, two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) materials, sparked by the “graphene revolution”, have become a major direction in modern technology development. At the same time, it has become increasingly clear that the mechanical fragility of 2D materials remains a key challenge for their scalable manufacturing and deployment in durable, real-world devices. In this context, several fundamental questions arise:

• • Can we build an unambiguous and comprehensive empirical knowledge base that enables predictive design and fabrication of mechanically robust 2D vdW structures?
• • What drives the discrepancy between the frequently reported, exceptionally high mechanical properties of vdW materials and today’s limited ability to manufacture durable structures at the technological scale?
• • Do we have experimental tools for a consistent and complete mechanical assessment of vdW materials across the full thickness range, from bulk crystals, through thin layers and membranes, down to single molecular layers and their heterostructures?

The aim of this project is to address this challenge by investigating the nanomechanical properties of vdW materials, from macroscopic crystals to monolayers, using state-of-the-art optical tools. We will focus on transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and perform a comprehensive study of how spatial confinement, interlayer twist, and strain affect the intrinsic elasticity of freestanding vdW structures and heterostructures.

To achieve this, we will develop a new, contact-free experimental platform based on fully optical inelastic light-scattering methods probing thermal and non-thermal phonons/acoustic waves. This approach will provide fundamental insight into the anisotropic elastic properties of TMDC monolayers and their stacked heterostructures (multilayers). The project’s breakthrough potential stems from a contact-free, non-destructive methodology based on Brillouin light scattering, which we will advance toward the technological and physical limits of precision.

The postdoctoral researcher’s tasks will include:

1. • Setting up the experimental system for the fabrication of vdW monolayers and membranes.
2. • Preparing samples from vdW single crystals (thin layers, membranes, and heterostructures).
3. • Characterizing samples using Brillouin and Raman light-scattering techniques as well as SEM, TEM, and AFM microscopy.
4. • Reporting results, preparing manuscripts for publication, and presenting findings at conferences and seminars.
5. • Short-term international research visits (approx. one month per year) focused on sample fabrication (Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan).

Duration:2 years (with a possible 1-year extension after evaluation)

Basic gross salary: Approximately 14 500 PLN/month (3 400 EUR/month)