Post-Doctoral Fellow Theoretical - Strongly Correlated and Complex Systems Group

Applications are invited for the post of Post-doctoral Fellow (PDF) on the broad Topic (Theoretical) : “Understanding the Behaviour of Complex (Quantum) Systems using Techniques of Statistical Physics”, in the Strongly Correlated and Complex Systems Group (PI : Dr. Subhra Sen Gupta), Department of Physics, School of Natural Sciences, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (SN IoE), Delhi NCR. 

Research Focus in the Group

The Group currently concerns itself with the theoretical understanding of properties of mainly Complex Quantum Systems (but also possibly certain Classical systems depending on the exact problem) using the Methods of Statistical Physics, like Random Matrix Theory, Multifractality Analysis, the Renormalization Group etc. and Computational Methods like Exact Diagonalization etc. Examples of more specific areas include the investigation of the properties of the many-body wavefunctions for disordered, interacting Quantum systems and their extent of Localization using tools like Number of Principal Components (NPC)/Inverse Participation Ratio (IPR) analysis and Multifractality analysis, both in the Integrable as well as in the Quantum Chaotic regime, as also in the NEE (Non-ergodic extended) regime; Out-of-Time-Order Correlators (OTOC’s) of Quantum counterparts of classically chaotic systems or other Complex Quantum systems, as a quantum analogue of the Lyapunov exponent; Statistical Physics of Neural Networks deploying techniques from Non-linear Dynamics and Non-equilibrium Statistical Mechanics (e.g., path integral methods) as well as methods from Random Matrix Theory (RMT) (applied to sparse matrices).

Nature of Work & Job Responsibilities

The Post-doctoral Fellow (PDF), in consultation with the PI, will be responsible for modeling various Complex Physical Systems, mainly in the Quantum Domain (but also sometimes classical systems) that may exhibit Chaotic or other complex behaviour. These could involve interacting and disordered Spin or Fermionic/Bosonic Systems or Models for Neural Networks etc. These will involve the techniques of Random Matrix Theory (RMT), Multifractal Analysis, Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), Renormalization Group or other methods that the situation may demand. In addition to analytical work, she/he will also be required to do coding in Fortran 95 (or any other comparable language) as well as use the Codes developed previously in the group (mainly in Fortran 95). These may involve techniques like Exact Diagonalization, Iterative Diagonalization, Spectral Analysis etc. The candidate will also be interpreting the results obtained from such procedures in close consultation with the PI. At the same time, the Group is also open to investigating problems and methods that involve the previous expertise of the PDF during her/his Ph.D. or previous post-doc position(s). The PDF is also expected to academically support Ph.D. or Undergraduate research student(s) in the group and get an opportunity to develop her/his mentoring skills, which is a valuable professional experience.

• Objectives

• Building/proposing minimalistic but effective models for Complex Quantum (and possibly some Classical) Systems that usually exhibit both interactions and disorder.
• Solving such models using various Analytical Approximations and Numerical Methods.
• Interpreting such results to understand the physical trends and systematics of such systems and possible emergent behaviour.
• Ultimately compile and publish the significant findings in standard Peer Reviewed International Journals.

• Essential Qualifications & Desired Expertise

• The candidate should have a Ph.D. Degree in Theoretical Physics (e.g. Condensed Matter/Many-body Theory, Statistical Physics/Statistical Field Theory etc.) from a reputed University or Research Institute and should have a Good Academic Track Record throughout her/his Career. (Excellent candidates who have submitted their Ph.D. Thesis and waiting for their Thesis Defence may also apply, and if chosen, will receive a Reduced Fellowship as per the norms of SN IoE, until they complete their Thesis Defence and receive the (provisional) degree. 
• The candidate should be well-versed in Quantum Mechanics, Condensed Matter Physics and Statistical Physics at the Masters level.
• The candidate should have programming skills and experience with a standard Programming Language like Fortran 95 or C++ etc. Some experience with versatile softwares like Mathematica will be valuable.
• The Candidate would be preferred if they additionally have some exposure to Classical Chaos and Nonlinear Dynamics (via a Course or a Research Project).

Duration of the Project

Initially for 1 Year which may be extended for another year upon satisfactory progress in research work.

Fellowship

INR 65000- p.m. (Consolidated).

Application Process

Eligible and interested candidates should send their application (via email) with a complete CV (having personal and academic details, academic qualifications with percentage of marks, Research Experience, List of Publications, and the names, affiliations, and email addresses of at least two referees) to Dr. Subhra Sen Gupta (subhra.sengupta@snu.edu.in) in a combined single PDF file, and with a copy to Ms. Kishmish Gurbani ([email protected]) on or before 20th January 2025. Scanned copies of marksheets/transcripts/testimonials/certificates, a recent passport-size photograph, and other relevant documents are also to be included in the Application email. The email should have the Subject Line in the following format: “Application for a Post-doctoral Position in the Strongly Correlated and Complex Systems Group | Candidate Name”.

Application Deadline: 20th January 2025

About Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (SN IoE)

Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (www.snu.edu.in) is a student-centric, multidisciplinary and research-focused University offering a wide range of academic programs at the Undergraduate, Master's and Doctoral levels. The University was set up in 2011 by the Shiv Nadar Foundation, a philanthropic foundation established by Mr. Shiv Nadar, founder of HCL. The University is in the quest to become a globally acclaimed center for learning and innovation in the fields of Engineering, Natural Sciences, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Management. The core of the University consists of a select, world-class faculty with doctoral and postdoctoral experiences from ranked universities worldwide.

Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence has recently been selected as one of the ten private Institutions of Eminence by the Government. In the NIRF (Government’s National Institutional Ranking Framework), the University has been the youngest institution in the 'top 100' Overall list. In NIRF-2022, it ranked 61 in the 'University' category. Shiv Nadar University has been accredited with a Grade ‘A’ by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council), valid for five years from 26 November 2019. It is also among a select group of greenfield institutions in the country that was awarded the prestigious Atal Incubation Center grant by the NITI Aayog, Government of India, in the very first round in 2017.
 

About the Physics Department at SN IoE

The Department of Physics at the Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (SNIoE) thrives to integrate teaching with research to bring the excitement of discoveries to the classroom and to involve undergraduate students in the research from an early stage of their academic journey. The research topics in the department of physics span from few atoms to the beginning of the universe to the whole saga of materials of technological and societal importance. In particular, the department is committed to equip all the students, scholars, and faculty members to meet and solve the challenges that contemporary society faces in the area of energy, electronics, environment and economic developments via theoretical or computational or experimental research or a combination of them. The department also encourages active collaborations to pursue interdisciplinary research across the university and the globe. Detailed descriptions of research interests of Physics faculty members and other relevant information can be found at https://physics.snu.edu.in/about/department. 

Experimental Facilities:

The Physics research laboratories are equipped with basic research facilities, which include clean room, thermal deposition, chemical vapor deposition, pulsed electron deposition, magnetron sputtering, spin coater, ball-milling, vacuum annealing, high temperature oven, high temperature split tube furnaces, hydraulic press, glove box, microwave furnace, fume hoods, bio-safety cabinets, cryostat, XRD, AFM, photoluminescence, Raman spectrometer, PPMS, ellipsometry, FE-SEM, UV-visible-IR spectrophotometers, I-V measurement system, polarization loop-tracer, polarization microscope, fluorescence microscope, surface profiler, viscometer, thermal conductivity, contact angle, and many other instruments within the school of natural sciences.

Computational Facilities:

Besides, the department can avail computational facilities that include a high-performance IBM cluster (“Magus”) having 8064-Cores (57 Computer Nodes) with 4 GB Memory per Core (amounting to a total Memory of 29.2 TB) along with two GPU Nodes. It also has 12 High Memory Nodes with 16 GB Memory per Core for the High Memory Nodes amounting to a Total of 12.3 TB Memory. This delivers a theoretical peak performance of ~ 30TF. Physics faculty, students and research scholars have full and unlimited access to this facility for their computational research. Also, department has its own computational laboratory where 10 high performance workstations and 20 high-end desktops are available for conducting teaching and research. Several softwares for molecular modeling, molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical learning, bioinformatics, and cheminformatics, are also available.

Library & Journal Facilities:

Our central library is a modern 5-storey building and provides online access to the e-books, electronic journals and databases from APS, AIP, ACS, RSC, AMS, SIAM, IOP, Springer, Elsevier, Wiley, Nature, and others.