Additional recruitment to the Doctoral School of Exact Sciences beyond the limit of places

Project description:      

The first recorded instance of sound (phonons) appears in the 3^rd verse of Genesis. The propagation of acoustic (mechanical) waves in architected matter is a generic problem that impacts telecommunication, material, and life sciences. Phonon propagation in composite structures depends on many conversational parameters (at least three per solid component), increasing further when anisotropy, confinement, and interfacial effects are included in the structure design. There is, therefore, rich, unexplored, and hardly predictable fundamental science that needs a foundation of high-frequency (GHz) phononics, enabling simultaneous manipulation of hypersonic phonons and visible light in periodic materials. The sub-micrometer organization is a ubiquitous property of soft matter that allows the fabrication of structures with manifold functionalities. Control over the phonon dispersion can impact the flow of mechanical waves, strength, toughness concomitantly, and heat transport in dielectric hybrid materials. Many essential questions in this young field of GHz phononics are being raised and require new conceptual and technical approaches to address them. This will further boost the next step of nanocrystal THz phononics, targeting the coherent management of phononic heat transport.

One-component hybrid materials exemplified by polymer grafted (inorganic core) nanoparticles (GNP), newly synthesized, are a powerful platform for self-assembly fabrication of nano-submicron periodic structures. These combine strong vibration resonant core (size and elasticity), transformative polymer conformation, and phase state depending on physical (graft length, grafting density, and bimodality) and chemical (single, diblock) parameters. The facile fabrication of tunable GNP’s structures with controlled solid (core)-polymer and polymer-polymer GNP interfaces will allow phonon engineering at long and short wavelengths compared to the periodicity for scrutiny of structure-controlled nanomechanics and metamaterial properties. The thermodynamic phase diagram of the polymer grafts will be utilized for external stimulus by pressure and thermal transport. The experimental band diagram (frequency vs. phonon wave vector) will challenge theoretical predictability by employing state-of-the-art simulations.  

In this project, we aim to investigate how the elasticity, photo-thermal effects, and hypersonic stopbands (all polarizations) can be tuned by architected GNP, discovering new metamaterial properties and ambient and high hydrostatic pressure. Establishing a reliable predictive power will open new application pathways of soft-matter-based high-frequency phononics.

To make this vision real, we will employ state-of-the-art GNP synthesis and experimental tools in close international and multidisciplinary collaboration between five research groups from Poland, Germany, Spain, Greece, and the United States. We will verify the research hypotheses: (i) High-frequency mechanics (elastic moduli and Poisson ratio) should deviate from a continuum-level behavior depending on graft conformation and GNP internal structure and packing. (ii) The subwavelength hypersonic stopband (hybridization) should display a complex dependence on grafting density, lattice constant, and architecture. (iii) The amplification of narrow-band metamaterial absorption in the visible light regime and modulated thermal conductivity should relate to the phoxonic features of GNPs.

The advancement of a new field creates knowledge in physics and material engineering and challenges material nanofabrication and characterization: (1) Strong, robust, and low-density nanostructured functional materials are of paramount importance for a wide range of applications comprising microelectronic, photonics, nano-electro-mechanical systems, nanofluidics, biomedical imaging, GHz signal processing in 5G and 6G technologies. (2) A detailed understanding of phonon propagation in soft nanostructures is a precondition to access fundamental concepts such as micromechanics, tunable hypersonic phononic stopbands heat management, and phonon-photon interactions. Controlling the elusive flow of heat is a complex challenge across multiple materials, length scales, and ultimately, devices. The realization of performance enhancements reducing inorganic core content in one-component hybrid materials will have an environmental (recycling) impact. (3) Know-how transfer between the research groups and foremost to young scientists.

Principal investigator:   prof. dr hab. Georgios Fytas   -  NCN 2023/51/B/ST3/01995

Recruitment 

Selection Committee

         1.  prof.  dr hab. Georgios Fytas  – chairman

         2.   prof. UAM dr hab. Bartłomiej Graczykowski

         3.    prof.  dr hab. Adam Lipowski

         4.    prof. UAM dr hab. Jacek Gapiński

         5.    prof. UAM dr hab. Mikołaj Pochylski 

         6.    mgr  Anna Kolańczyk-Marszałek  – secretary

Schedule of  the Doctoral  School enrolment procedure: 

Recruitment fee

The recruitment fee is 75 EUR.

Form of the selection procedure

One stage procedure.

Language of the selection procedure, including interviews:

Polish or English language. 

Required documents:

 1.        Candidates who have obtained the necessary education outside the territory of the Republic of Poland, shall additionally submit:

1)    a photocopy of a document which confirms their education, certified to be a true copy of the original document, i.e. a diploma with a supplement confirming completion of first cycle studies (Bachelor degree) and a diploma with a supplement confirming completion of second cycle studies (Master degree, MSc, MA) in the original language and in a certified translation into English or into Polish,

            2)    a photocopy of their passport. 

 Evaluation criteria

 1)    the grade awarded for the diploma of the second cycle studies or single cycle five year master’s studies - maximum 10 points; in the case of candidates who seek admission on the basis of superior academic achievements ("Pearls of Science") - 10 points;

 2)    evaluation of the candidate's scientific activity and scientific achievements; the candidate indicates for evaluation up to three documented scientific achievements, in accordance with the achievement criteria adopted by the selection committee for a given discipline - maximum 15 points;

 3)    evaluation of the candidate's other documented activity, based on a maximum of three achievements consistent with the achievement criteria adopted by the selection committee for a given discipline - maximum 5 points

 4)    the result of the interview, with the scope of the interview including:

 a)    the candidate's knowledge and competencies relevant to the planned research and appropriate to the indicated scientific discipline,

 b)    elements of research methodology appropriate for the discipline indicated.

 No more than 50 points can be awarded for the interview; the maximum duration of the interview is 30 minutes.

 5)    evaluation of the research project prepared and submitted for assessment to the selection committee (maximum 20 points), with particular emphasis on:

 a)    the ability to formulate the research objective and present the research problem;

 b)    research idea and the ability to propose a solution;

 c)    methodology appropriate to the discipline indicated;

          d)    knowledge of the state of research with a basic bibliography. 

Condition of admission to the Doctoral School 

Education Program

Education at the doctoral school lasts 8 semesters. Education at the Doctoral School  is offered on the basis of a framework curriculum and an individual research plan and ends with the submission of a doctoral dissertation.

The framework curriculum at the doctoral school includes a catalogue of modules of compulsory classes, elective compulsory classes and optional classes. It also:

1)    defines their schedule

2)    defines the way in which the classes are taught

3)    defines how learning outcomes are verified.

Education begins on 1st October, 2024.

Supervisors

A doctoral student works under the supervision of a supervisor or supervisors, or a supervisor and auxiliary supervisor, who will be appointed by the Deputy Rector at the request of a doctoral student (within 3 months of the start of his or her studies at the Doctoral School).

Scholarships

Scholarship: 5000 PLN gross per 36 months.

Rules of admission to doctoral schools of Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań in the academic year 2024/2025, Appendix to Resolution No. 478/2023/2024 of UAM Senate of 18th  December, 2023.