Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science Without Borders)
PhD Project Template:
PI name & contact details:
Dr. Christophe Silien
Department
Physics and Energy
Has project been agreed with head (or
nominee) of proposed registration school?
yes
Research Centre / group affiliation:
Materials and Surface Science Institute
Research group / centre website:
www.ul.ie ; http://www.ul.ie/mssi
PI website / link to CV:
http://www.energy.ul.ie/people/faculty/dr-christophesilien
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
The PI’s research group is focused on (i) developing novel optical nanoscopies for biomedical and
nanomaterials imaging, (ii) developing novel materials for molecular electronic and photovoltaic
applications, (iii) developing new tools for optical manipulation of nanomaterials.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Bottom-up assembly of nanomaterials by optical manipulation
Semiconductor nanoparticles and nanowires can be today readily synthesized and self-assembled to
create bulk materials of specific optical, magnetic, or electronic properties. Accurate and real-time
optical guiding of the self-assembly will however allow for further development towards nonspontaneous organization and nanoscale patterning for optical-electronics circuitry and photonic
materials. This project aims at developing new optical manipulation tools for real-time and high
throughput control of the assembly of nanomaterials.
Unique selling points of PhD project in UL:
The University of Limerick (UL) with over 11,500 students and 1,300 staff is an energetic and
enterprising institution with a proud record of innovation and excellence in education, research and
scholarship. It is widely recognized for the outstanding student experience it offers to all its students,
the excellence of its research and the impact it is making on our society and our economy. In 2011
UL, was independently evaluated by the international university rating agency QS Stars and was
awarded the maximum 5-star rating in 6 categories namely, teaching, engagement,
internationalization, innovation and knowledge transfer, infrastructure, and employability of UL
graduates. UL's Materials and Surface Science Institute is an internationally recognized center of
excellence.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Physics, Chemistry, Material Science, Engineering, etc
Please indicate whether students can apply for:
Sandwich programme only
Full PhD programme only
Either of the above
X
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only
one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)
Health and Biomedical Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
Minerals
Biotechnology
Nanotechnology and New Materials
X
Technology of prevention and remediation of natural disasters
Biodiversity and Bioprospection
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering