PhD position in the field of metamaterials for vibration and sound reduction

Job content

Empa - the place where innovation starts

Empa is the research institute for materials science and technology of the ETH Domain and conducts cutting-edge research for the benefit of industry and the well-being of society.

The Laboratory for Acoustics/Noise Control is offering a

PhD position in the field of metamaterials for vibration and sound reduction

Project

This PhD is part of the Horizon Europe MSCA doctoral network METAVISION (METAmaterials for VIbration and Sound reductION – Grant number 101072415). METAVISION is an international consortium of high-profile universities, research institutions and companies located in 7 European countries. METAVISION will train 11 doctoral candidates through intersectoral, multidisciplinary and international joint research and aims to reconcile two conflicting trends. On the one hand, people become increasingly aware of the negative health impact of excessive noise and vibration exposure. On the other hand, every kilogram of mass removed from the logistics chain has a direct economic and ecological benefit. Current noise and vibration solutions at low frequencies require too much mass or volume to be practically feasible. There is a strong need for low mass, compact solutions with excellent noise and vibration characteristics, for which recently emerged so-called metamaterials have shown immense potential. METAVISION aims to develop novel design and analysis methods, revolutionize the manufacturing of metamaterials towards large-scale and versatile solutions, and advance academically proven metamaterial concepts towards industrially relevant applications.

Your tasks

As doctoral candidate within this project you will work on practical implementations of metamaterials for vibration reduction. Standard metamaterial modelling considers an infinite periodic structure consisting of a single unit cell. Practical applications require addressing 2 additional questions: (i) how do edges of finite samples affect the efficiency and (ii) can transmission reduction be achieved by aperiodic structures. To do this

• You create large-scale finite element models of complex dynamic structures and analyze their vibrational behavior
• You investigate potential optimization strategies for the fast design of finite metamaterials
• You design and measure prototypes to validate the numerical models
• You delve into the possibilities of several classes of materials, such as viscoelasticity or piezoelectricity, and identify the ideal solution for specific problems.

Profile

If you recognize yourself in the story below, then you have the profile that fits the project and the research group:

• I have a master degree in engineering, physics or mathematics, obtained no longer than four years ago and performed above average in comparison to my peers.
• I am proficient in written and spoken English.
• I haven’t had residence or main activities in Switzerland for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
• During my courses or prior professional activities, I have gathered some experience with at least one of the following: principles of vibrations and acoustics, structural dynamics, numerical modelling techniques (finite element method), or experimental methods in acoustics. I have a profound interest for these topics.
• As a researcher I perform research in a structured and scientifically sound manner. I read technical papers, understand the nuances between different theories and implement and improve methodologies myself.
• In frequent reporting, varying between weekly to monthly, I show the results that I have obtained and I give a well-founded interpretation of those results. I iterate on my work and my approach based on the feedback of my supervisors which steer the direction of my research.
• It’s important for me to work as an active team member and I am eager to share my results to in-spire and being inspired by my colleagues.
• During my PhD I want to grow towards following up the project that I am involved in and representing the research group on project meetings and conferences. I see these events as an occasion to disseminate my work to an audience of international experts and research colleagues, and to learn about the larger context of my research and the research project.

Offer

We offer a fully funded 3-year PhD position at Empa. The candidate will also be enrolled as a PhD student at the KU Leuven (Belgium) and supervised by Prof. Elke Deckers. The core of the PhD project will be conducted at Empa with shorter stays at KUL. Besides ample occasions to develop yourself in a scientific and/or industrial direction offered by the research group, further doctoral training for PhD candidates is provided in the framework of the KU Leuven Arenberg Doctoral School https://set.kuleuven.be/phd , https://set.kuleuven.be/phd/dopl/whytraining . Empa supports equal opportunities such as the compatibility of work and other life areas and lives a culture of inclusion and respect https://www.empa.ch/web/s606?lang=en . We are committed to increase the diversity of our team and encourage qualified people from all backgrounds and genders to apply for this position. Starting date is April 2023 or upon mutual agreement.

You stay in a vibrant environment centrally in Europe. Empa has its main campus in Dübendorf, located close to Zürich and 20 minutes by tram from Zurich International Airport. Zurich is one of the cities with the highest quality of life worldwide, welcoming to non-German speaking people and with ample opportunities for social, cultural, and outdoor activities.

For further information about the position please contact Dr Bart van Damme bart.vandamme@empa.ch and visit our websites www.empa.ch/web/s509 and Empa-Video

We look forward to receiving your online application including a letter of motivation, CV, diplomas with transcripts and contact details of two referees. Please upload the requested documents through our webpage. Applications via email will not be considered.

Empa, David Heusser, Human Resources, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.