MSCA-PF 2022 - Superconducting tapes: from their preparation by ultrafast innovative methods to defects structure engineering and doping state with robust methods for integration into specific applications (Prof. T. Puig)

ICMAB-CSIC is looking for postdoctoral researchers wanting to apply to Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships (PF) in 2022. ICMAB-CSIC has full experience in MSCA actions. It puts a big effort in MSCA-PF calls, having achieved high success rate in the last years.

Superconductivity is a macroscopic quantum phenomenon that enables some materials to carry large currents without dissipation below a certain critical temperature and magnetic field. Since high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials were discovered 30 years ago, many potential applications emerged, however they had to face the need to generate new knowledge on this new class of cuprates material. They are unconventional superconductors with a d-wave pairing symmetry, their microscopic theory was (and it is still) unknown, novel vortex physics arose associated to the high thermal fluctuations and the nanoscale nature of the superconducting parameters, their structure anisotropy imposed the need to grow them with crystalline order and their brittleness needed innovative technologies to ensure flexible wires. Nowadays, the international community is able to fabricate HTS materials for high current energy efficient applications (high power cables, wind generators, electrical aviation) and large scale infrastructures (fusion, circular colliders, NMR beyond 1 GHz). However, the cost/performance ratio is still too high, so ideas have emerged in our group to develop low cost chemical methods with high throughput ultrafast growth processes that permit a nanoscale control of the microstructure and the doping state to strongly pin vortices. An in-situ growth platform has been designed and adapted for light source synchrotrons diffraction experiments to follow the process. Our interest is to disentangle the growth mechanisms and decrease the cost/performances of HTS conductors. These materials and physics understanding will be used to develop specfic materials customization for specific applications in the energy and magnets sector. We are a group of researchers with interests in the full value chain, going from the fundamental understanding of materials preparation and physical properties to the integration of HTS in devices.

How to apply

Interested candidates, please send your CV and a brief outline ofthe proposed research project (1 page maximum) to Prof. Teresa Puig (teresa.puig@icmab.es) before July 15^th 2022.

Description of MSCA Post-doctoral fellowships

The objective of PFs is to support researchers’ careers and foster excellence in research. The Postdoctoral Fellowships action targets researchers holding a PhD who wish to carry out their research activities abroad, acquire new skills and develop their careers. PFs help researchers gain experience in other countries, disciplines and non-academic sectors. The fellowship typically covers the researcher's salary (living and mobility allowance) for two years, research, training and networking activities costs and overheads for the host institution.

Eligibility rules

The mobility rule of MSCA PF requires that the researcher (candidate) has not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their host organization (Spain, for ICMAB-CSIC) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the call deadline (expected to be September 14^th 2022 for call 2022). Moreover, only candidates with research experience up to 8 years postdoc from the date the PhD degree was granted are eligible(with possible exceptions).

More information about MSCA post-doctoral fellowships 2022 and elegibility rules:

Check the call website.