Computational physics

PhD Position in Computational Materials Discovery for Extreme Environments (ETH Zurich)

The Materials Modeling Group (Prof. Malik Wagih), launching February 2026 in the Department of Materials at ETH Zurich, invites applications for PhD positions starting June 2026 or by mutual agreement. We develop computational methods for materials discovery under extreme conditions.

At the Professorship of Solid Mechanics (SMEC) in the Institute for Building Materials at ETH Zurich, we aim to understand how materials deform, degrade, break, and ultimately fail. Our research is driven by curiosity about the physical mechanisms of friction and colloidal interactions in suspensions.

The PhD is part of a Franco‑German co‑funded project between IFP Ennergies Nouvelles at Lyon and Hamburg University of Technology, focusing on the modelling of gas/liquid multiphase flow in large‑scale bioreactors.

The current PhD position is part of theekile X‑CELERATE network. You will develop novel 4D image reconstruction methods for X‑ray imaging of advanced materials, including 3D phase‑contrast techniques.

This highly multidisciplinary doctoral student position focuses on the development of sustainable solutions to mitigate climate change, with an emphasis on materials science, coding, and automation.

Number of offers: 30, Finland, Tampere University, Tampere, 33100, Kalevantie 4.
Number of offers: 1, საფუძ Poland, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Warsaw 02‑093, Pasteura 5.
Number of offers: 1, Belgium, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk 2610, Edegemsesteenweg 202.

The current PhD position is part of the international project X‑CELERATE (www.x‑celerate.org), an MS Adwords Doctoral Network aimed at boosting imaging tools for advanced materials. Your task will be to develop a 3D X‑ray phase‑contrast reconstruction method that can be applied to real‑time imaging scenarios.