Hierarchical and Multiscale Approach to Novel Thermoelectric Materials

Thermoelectric materials (TMs), which can turn thermal energy into electric current, are of top priority for waste energy recovery and new IT applications. Their performance is measured by their figure of merit, ZT. Current materials top value (ZT<3) is far from the maximal theoretical efficiency set by the Carnot cycle though. The reason why TMs do not perform at the best of their theoretical capacity is because an exceptional TM is a fairly complex material.

There is therefore an deep need for a better understanding on phenomena that control the electronic and thermal transport. A combination of atomistic and multiscale simulations, and advanced manufacturing processes, will significantly improve on the current state of the art in the field resulting in advanced manufacturing techniques.

This studentship is jointly supervised by Cardiff University and a local company with a strong accent on materials discovery and materials innovation. Cardiff University offers state of the art resources and deliver first class teaching – student satisfaction is highest, and REF placed it among the top 5 universities in the UK.

The company may offer additional employment possibilities after completion of the project.

The studentship is supported by KESS (Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships).http://www.higherskillswales.co.uk/kess/
There are strict criteria about who will be eligible for the this funded post, please see the funding notes below and our application link.

The KESS student will be part of the workgroup focused on energy materials, composed by academic staff at Cardiff University and company researchers The focus of the work will be on the numerical simulations of heat transport in order to improve the efficiency of thermoelectric materials, currently an highly competitive class of materials. The training opportunities are substantial and manifold.

The student will have to comply with the PGR regulation of Cardiff University, which implies a regular monitoring on the progress of research according to high standards of rigour and ethics. The student is explicitly encouraged to interact with other members of the research group, attend School seminars, and acquire further knowledge and skills by participating to meetings, conferences and international schools. Furthermore, the School of Chemistry at Cardiff University is strongly promoting cross-disciplinarily with the creation of research areas, which put together scientists and research groups with different background.

Supervisors: Dr Stefano Leoni http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/38532-leoni-stefano
and Professor Kenneth Harris http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/38526-harris-kenneth
alongside a company partner (undisclosed)

Academic criteria: Master degree in chemistry, physics, engineering. Confidence with Unix/Linux, programming and scientific computing desired.

The deadline for applications is 3rd December 2016

Cardiff University reserves the right to close applications early should sufficient applications be received.

Start date: 1st January 2017 (or possibly April 2017, July 2017 or October 2017)