Jobs

09/24/2025

Postdoctoral Position in Theory and Simulation of 2D Magnetic Quantum Materials

We are inviting applications for a postdoctoral position in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Kansas (KU). The postdoc will be co-supervised by Prof. Qunfei Zhou at KU and Prof. Kirill Belashchenko at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). The research will be in close collaboration with experimental experts at both KU and UNL.

Research Focus:

The emergence of two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials provides an exciting platform for realizing novel magnetic states and emergent quantum phenomena with promising applications in spintronics and quantum information science. In this project, the postdoctoral researcher will study exotic magnetic and topological states in 2D van der Waals materials by applying and developing advanced computational and theoretical approaches.

Responsibilities:

•       Conducting the computational and theoretical research on magnetic and topological properties in van der Waals heterostructures using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, tight-binding and machine learning methods.

•        Provide theoretical predictions to guide experiments, and atomic-scale physical understanding to experimental observations.

•         Publishing findings in peer-reviewed journals

•        Presenting work at local and national/international scientific conferences

Location: Primarily located at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, US.

Expected starting date: Spring or Summer 2026.

Period: 1 year for first contract. It can be extended to 3 years based on performance and funding availability.

Qualifications:

•         Education and Experience: Ph.D. in physics, materials science or related field

•         Skills and Abilities: Strong background in DFT calculations, comfortable with Python programming, good oral and written communication in English.

Interested candidate please email your CV, cover letter (1~2 pages), and contact information for at least two referees to qunfei.zhou@ku.edu.

Please feel free to contact qunfei.zhou@ku.edu for any questions.