Fully funded PhD positions in nanoscience

The International Max Planck Research School for Science and Technology of Nano-Systems (IMPRS-STNS) invites outstanding Master’s graduates to apply for fully funded PhD positions at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg — two institutions on one campus.

Our IMPRS brings together world-leading expertise in physics, materials science, and chemistry to pioneer the design and understanding of atomically engineered materials for next-generation nano-systems.

We design materials at the scale of single atoms and molecules, and explore what they can do for information technology, energy and sustainability.

Research fields

Spintronics and spin-orbit physics, superconductivity and quantum materials, atomically engineered thin films and interfaces, topological and chiral matter, ultrafast spin dynamics, unconventional and neuromorphic computing, quantum theory and first-principles modelling, polymer and materials chemistry, electron microscopy and nanofabrication.

The instruments

Growing materials: molecular-beam epitaxy, pulsed laser deposition, sputtering, ion-beam deposition, the MANGO multi-source system, and a glovebox cluster for 2D materials.
Making devices: electron-beam and optical lithography, atomic layer deposition, reactive-ion etching, focused ion beam, and a new 700-square-meter cleanroom.
Measuring: dilution refrigerators down to millikelvin, low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy, ARPES, Kerr microscopy, femtosecond pump-probe and terahertz spectroscopy, electron microscopy, positron annihilation.
Theory: high-performance computing, and experimental groups on the same campus to test predictions against.

Many devices are built or modified in-house. The glovebox cluster was designed and built by a doctoral researcher.

Why join IMPRS-STNS?

What you get

• A fully funded employment contract (TVöD or TV-L), not a stipend.
• Statutory health insurance and pension contributions
• 30 days of annual leave, plus German public holidays
• No tuition fees
• English as the working language

What the school adds

• Interdisciplinary work across physics, materials science and chemistry, in an international PhD community spanning two institutions.
• Training in scientific communication, project management, teaching and science policy.
• An annual retreat organised by the doctoral researchers themselves.
• Mentoring, and support when things get difficult.
• Childcare and family support at both institutions.
• Room for curiosity-driven research, with support for creativity and risk-taking.
• Groups here work in international consortia with partners across Europe, America and Asia.

Living in Halle (Saale)
An affordable and green university city, well connected to big centers (Berlin 1 hour by train).

The school in numbers
42 doctoral researchers from 13 countries, four out of five from outside Germany. 17 principal investigators, three of them at universities abroad. Founded in 2017, we are proud of our 30 alumni, who are now successful in academia and industry and of more than 100 peer-reviewed publications.

How to apply

Our PhD projects span the most exciting areas in modern nanoscience.
Check the projects (https://www.imprs-stns.mpg.de/imprs-call-2026/research-topics) and follow the application details specified there.
Required documents and a contact person are all on that page.

For a PhD position we require a Master's degree in physics, materials science, chemistry or a related field, including a final thesis project, finished before you start.

Our working language is English and we welcome applications from any nationality. We believe in diverse teams and particularly encourage applications from women.

Positions start from spring 2027, most in summer or autumn.

Application deadline: 15 November 2026, 23:59 CET.