PhD thesis in computational physics: Altermagnetism and Structural Phase Transitions

The condensed matter theory group at Institut Néel (CNRS, Grenoble) invites applications for a three-year PhD position in condensed matter physics starting from October 2025 or by agreement. The project will investigate the emergence of altermagnetism, a recently identified class of collinear antiferromagnets featuring a time-reversal symmetry-broken ground state with zero net magnetization. The objective is to understand the interplay between magnetic and structural degrees of freedom gives that give rise to this novel phase, and to explore how the properties can be controlled via structural phase transitions or external fields. The successful candidate will develop and apply a range of theoretical and computational methods based on first-principles electronic structure methods, aiming to identify and characterize promising material candidates. This will include calculations of the atomic and electronic structure as well as electronic transport properties. Theoretical investigations are expected to proceed in collaboration with experimental partners in France and internationally.