Job Information
- Organisation/Company: Institute for the Sciences of Light / Institut d’Optique Graduate School
Offer Description
The LIGHTinPARIS programme has launched its 3rd call for PhD Fellowships with up to 6 fully funded positions starting on 1 January 2027. The PhD projects on offer fall in the domain of the Institute for Sciences of Light (Université Paris-Saclay) covering photonics, optics, imaging, materials (chemistry), lasers, instrumentation, information, quantum technologies and more. The programme is cofunded by the European Union under Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND call and co-financed by Université Paris-Saclay and two non-academic partners IMAGINE OPTIC and ONERA.
This is an announcement for one of the 10 PhD projects on offer.
PLUTO: PLasmonic Ultra-fast Tunneling Optoelectronics (Description on Web page and PDF)
Integrating plasmonics into nanodevices requires electrically driven nanosources. Tunnel junctions enable electrons to excite plasmons, creating fast, compact light sources. Despite these highly desirable features, their potential and scope is still underexploited in particular due to low efficiencies. The emission rate of plasmon sources is limited by low junction currents. Therefore we aim to study molecular-scale plasmonic tunneling junctions of the form of metal–molecule–metal junctions with tunable barriers enabling nonlinear emission effects such as non-classical emission statistics (bunching), intermittent emissions (flickering), overbias emissions, and unexplained spatial correlations between distant emission points. A molecular approach in this context is complementary to widely explored metal oxide barriers because by changing the molecular structure, we can control the tunneling barrier shape, control the tunneling mechanism, and dielectric properties of the junctions.
Keywords: Information and Communication Technologies (optoelectronics, optical fibers…); Quantum technologies; Nanophotonics (plasmonics, metamaterials, 2D materials, surfaces and interfaces, optomechanics); Materials (inorganic, semiconductor, organic, liquid crystal, photochromics); nanooptics; scanning probe; microscopy; molecular junctions; inelastic tunneling; single photon sources
PI/Thesis Supervisor and team: Eric LE MOAL at the Nanophysics@Surfaces team at the ISMO laboratory / institute
Every LIGHTinPARIS PhD project includes a “3i” dimension (interdisciplinary, intersectoral, or international collaboration) and all fellows will benefit from secondment opportunities for 2 to 12 months at the 3i partner lab under the supervision of the “3i” co-supervisor.
3i dimension(s) for project PLUTO: international 12 months at University of Twente, Enschede - The Netherlands, and interdisciplinary
Application Process
APPLICATION PROCESS - Guide for Applicants
- Applications must be submitted electronically via the LIGHTinPARIS application portal.
- Deadline for applications: 21 September 2026 12:00 noon Paris time (UTC + 2)
- Deadline to start an application (registration on portal): 15 September 2026 12:00 noon Paris time (UTC + 2)
PRIOR TO SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION,
- Step 1. Verify and test your eligibility: https://lightinparis.eu/eligibility/
- Step 2. Find a PhD project of interest https://lightinparis.eu/thesis-subjects
Contact the proposed thesis supervisor to discuss the research project and scientific background and experience needed to fulfill the PhD position.
YOU MAY THEN PROCEED TO,
- Step 3. Register on the application portal and receive link to application portal (you will complete an eligibility test first). You may prepare your application Offline.
- Step 4. Submit your application
Detailed information and instructions are provided in the official Guide for Applicants and on the programme website (lightinparis.eu).
Employment Conditions
- Contract: Full-time, 36-month fixed-term French doctoral employment contract. Employer: Université Paris-Saclay.
- Salary: Competitive gross monthly salary (before taxes) for a LIGHTinPARIS PhD fellow under French doctoral contract conditions is a minimum of 2400 € (see application guide for specific employers)
- Allowances: Monthly travel and mobility allowance (€200).
- Annual enrolment fees at the doctoral school (394 €) covered for 3 years.
Additional benefits and opportunities
- Opportunities for professional experience (such as teaching activities)
- Comprehensive training in research, innovation, and transferable skills
Timeline
- Call Open: Week 29 (2026) to Week 39 (2026). Publication of Call: 15 July 2026 (On website). Application portal open: 21-23 July 2026.
- Registration (to start an application) deadline: 15 September 2026 12:00 noon Paris time (UTC +2). No new applications can be registered after this date. Selected PhD project cannot be modified after this date
- Submission deadline: 21 September 2026 12:00 noon Paris time (UTC +2)
- Validation of application dossiers and evaluation by external experts: Week 39 - Week 42 (16/09/2026 - 13/10/2026)
- Online interviews: Week 44 - 45 (27 October - 6 November 2026)
- Notification of results: Week 46 (9 - 14 November 2026)
Contact & Information
- Administrative questions: For queries about the application process, eligibility, and all administrative questions, contact application-lightinparis.isl@institutoptique.fr.
- Scientific questions: contact the supervisor(s) listed for each project: https://lightinparis.eu/thesis-subjects
- Up-to-date information on the LIGHTinPARIS website: https://lightinparis.eu
Where to apply
Website: https://lightinparis.eu
Requirements
- Research Field: Physics - Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
- Research Field: Engineering - Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
- Research Field: Chemistry - Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
PhD studies and research work require curiosity, creativity, rigour, teamwork, and organisational skills. A minimum B2 level of English is mandatory. Each PhD project has specific skills/qualifications listed - see last page of linked PDF file https://lightinparis.eu/thesis-subjects/.
Profile of PhD fellow for project PLUTO
- pre-requisite: Academic background in physics, physical chemistry, or chemistry.
- pre-requisite: Work/internship experience in experimental physics and / or in experimental chemistry.
- advantageous: Experimental experience in optics, nanophotonics, and plasmonics.
- advantageous: Experimental experience in chemical synthesis
- advantageous: Work/internship experience in cleanroom based micro/nanofabrication, electrical characterization, optical microscopy, quantum optics (photon statistics), and / or scanning probe microscopy.
Specific Requirements
Security Clearance
Recruitment in French science and technology research facilities is subject to security clearance as required by the Department of Strategy, Security and Defence. The attribution of a PhD fellowship is contingent on the candidate obtaining the necessary security clearance.
Languages: ENGLISH - Level: Good
Additional Information
Eligibility criteria
Candidates must:
- Hold, or complete the requirements, for a Master’s degree or equivalent qualification by the application deadline, 21 September 2026. Candidates cannot hold a PhD degree.
- Must not have resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months in the three years prior to the call deadline (MSCA mobility rule), i.e. between 22 September 2023 and 21 September 2026.
A good (B2) level of English is required; knowledge of French is not required.
Selection process
The selection includes an eligibility check, external evaluation by experts, and interviews (online) to assess the candidates’ scientific potential, motivation, and fit with the proposed research project.
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited for online interviews.
Website for additional job details: https://lightinparis.eu
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available: 4
- Company/Institute: ISMO - Université Paris-Saclay
- Country: France
- City: Orsay
- Postal Code: 91405
- Street: 15, rue Georges Clemenceau
Contact
- City: Palaiseau
- Website: https://lightinparis.eu
- Street: 2 avenue Augustin Fresnel
- Postal Code: 91127
- E-Mail: application-lightinparis.isl@institutoptique.fr