PhD in theoretical physics

A visit of IPhT is organized on
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 from 2:20 pm
to present PhD topics to master students.
See practical details.

PhD topics proposed for 2013

PhD topics for Fall 2013 will be announced until December 2012.

• String theory and black holes,
  with I. Bena.

• Fluctuations far from equilibrium,
  with K. Mallick.

• String dualities and flux compactifications,
  with R. Minasian.

• Compactifications of string theory and the observable world,
  with M. Graña.

• The electronic properties of graphene, carbon nanotubes and topological insulators,
  with C. Bena.

• Probing the dark energy properties with the large-scale structure of the universe,
  with F. Bernardeau.

• Open quantum chaos,
  with S. Nonnenmacher.

• Boundary quantum field theory and transport properties of disordered systems,
  with H. Saleur.

• Geometrical methods in random matrices, statistical physics of random surfaces, and integrable systems,
  with B. Eynard.

• From Anderson to many-body localization,
  with G. Biroli.

• Correlation functions and amplitudes at weak and strong coupling, with Didina Serban et Ivan Kostov. BEWARE: this PhD thesis, funded by the European project GATIS, is only available to the students who have spent in a foreign country the 12 months preceding the beginning of the PhD.

• Quantum criticality and pseudogaps in cuprate superconductors, with Catherine Pépin.

• Fundamental properties of quantum gravity theories, with Pierre Vanhove.

PhDs usually start in October. They must be completed in three years at full time.

How to apply

To apply, first find a thesis topic. Make contact with the supervisor. Send her/him a CV. Once you obtain the consent of the supervisor, then submit an application for funding. Once funding is obtained, there remains only paperwork: enrollment in the university, with the CEA, etc.

Funding for a thesis

Several organizations offer funding. Each one has its own rules and timetable.

• CFR: CEA Contract Thesis
  The CFR funding is specific to CEA. The student receives 2040 euros "brut" per month, for 3 years. Usually, the contract starts on October 1st.

  For CFR, the applications must imperatively be finished by late April. Decisions are taken by the head of CEA. The only selection criterion is academic excellence. Responses are expected around mid-June. More information may be found at www-instn.cea.fr.

• PhD contract
  Awarded by the "doctoral schools". See www.etudiant.gouv.fr, or ED 107. Deadline for application: May or June.

Please contact Stéphane Nonnenmacher for more information.