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Master thesis: „Surface charge sensing in plasmas using quantum dots"
Job Description
Req ID:  749
Place of work:  Köln
Starting date:  01.05.2025
Career level:  Student research project and final thesis
Type of employment:  Part time
Duration of contract:  6 Monate

Remuneration: Remuneration is in accordance with the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector - Federal Government (TVöD-Bund)

Short Description of Institute/Facility -  Please insert text

Enter the fascinating world of the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) and help shape the future through research and innovation! We offer an exciting and inspiring working environment driven by the expertise and curiosity of our 11,000 employees from 100 nations and our unique infrastructure. Together, we develop sustainable technologies and thus contribute to finding solutions to global challenges. Would you like to join us in addressing this major future challenge? Then this is your place!

Charging of surfaces due to triboelectricity or collection of electrons and ions from the surrounding ionized medium (plasma) is an important process in many natural and application-oriented processes. Electrostatic potential of a dielectric surface is in a general case not accessible to an electrical measurement. One of the possible approaches to make it measurable is to use the fluorescence of quantum dots attached to a surface. Quantum dots are subject to the so-called quantum-confined Stark effect, i.e., in an external electric field, the spectrum of their fluorescence experiences a red shift which is proportional to the square of the electric field.

 

At the DLR Institute of Materials Physics in Space, we have succeeded in the wet-chemical synthesis of quantum-dot-coated surfaces. They come in the form quantum-dot coated silicon plates as well as quantum-dot-coated silicon oxide microparticles. Your mission will involve the following steps:

 

  1. Assist our chemist in synthesis and preliminarily characterization of quantum-dot-coated plates and/or microparticles;
  2. Perform tests of the quantum-dot-coated plates in a plasma;
  3. Perform tests of quantum-dot-coated microparticles in a plasma.

This work is a collaboration between DLR Institute for Materials Physics in Space in Cologne, Germany and Eindhoven University of Technology in Netherlands. Steps 1 and 2 will be performed in Cologne and step 3 in Eindhoven.

 

As the result of the work conclusions on the usability of the measurement technique as well as recommendations for the further improvements of the charge-sensitive layer should be made.

The prospective candidate must be a student in physics, material science or similar discipline. Very good knowledge of written and spoken English, initiative and independent approach to work are required. In addition, experiences with optical spectroscopy, electrical discharges and wet chemistry are desirable.

 

For further information, contact Dr. Mikhail Pustylnik at DLR Institute for Materials Physics in Space: mikhail.pustylnik@dlr.de

We offer

DLR stands for diversity, appreciation and equality for all people. We promote independent work and the individual development of our employees both personally and professionally. To this end, we offer numerous training and development opportunities. Equal opportunities are of particular importance to us, which is why we want to increase the proportion of women in science and management in particular. Applicants with severe disabilities will be given preference if they are qualified.

We look forward to getting to know you!

If you have any questions about this position (Vacancy-ID 749) please contact:

Florian Kargl 
Tel.: +49 2203 601 2064 
Apply now