Vacant job

Job Description

The next leap in battery development is expected to be lithium solid-state batteries (SSB). This concept enables the flammable organic electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries to be replaced by a safer and more compact solid electrolyte. As part of the Swedish state battery initiative COMPEL, which aims to support competence and excellence in battery research and education for the transport sector, KTH is consolidating efforts with a coordinated initiative on composite-SSBs, offering seven postdoctoral positions from various disciplines focusing on different aspects along the battery value chain, from synthesis, cell manufacturing, characterization, modeling to scaled-up production. The two-year postdoctoral project "Micromechanical Modeling and Mechanical Characterization of Contact, Interfaces, and Fracture in Solid-State Battery Cells" is located at the Department of Mechanics (Div. of Material and Structural Mechanics) at the School of Engineering Sciences (SCI). In a solid-state cell, mechanics determine whether the cell functions: unlike a liquid electrolyte, a solid cell must build up and maintain every solid-solid contact under load, while the intercalation and de-intercalation of ions cause swelling and shrinking, and the interfaces between active material, electrolyte, and current collector must maintain both adhesion and conductivity at the low stack pressures applicable in real-world applications. The project develops a micromechanical modeling framework that resolves the cell at the particle and interface level and links its mechanical state to its electrochemical performance, where interface debonding, fracture, and particle fragmentation are represented as mechanisms that reshape the network of conductive contacts. The framework is validated against experimental data from the COMPEL collaboration and delivers a design and operation map, including the cell's safe low-pressure window. The postdoc also contributes to the mechanical and structural characterization of materials and cells developed in other projects.

Qualifications

Requirements

• A completed PhD degree or a foreign degree assessed as equivalent to a PhD in strength of materials, technical mechanics, computational mechanics, materials science, technical physics, or a related field, with some experience of batteries or battery materials. This eligibility requirement must be met no later than the time the employment decision is made.
• Good knowledge of written and spoken English, as it is required in daily work.
• Strong skills in calculation and numerical modeling, including finite element methods or multi-physics simulation and scientific programming.
• Awareness of diversity and equal treatment issues, with a particular focus on gender equality.

Merits

• At the application deadline, no more than three years have passed since the PhD degree or a foreign degree assessed as equivalent to a PhD was awarded.
• Experience with solid-state or lithium-ion batteries and familiarity with the mechanics and characterization of battery materials and cells.
• Practical experience in coupled electro-chemo-mechanical modeling or phase-field modeling of fracture, contact, and micromechanics for particle or composite materials, mechanical testing and X-ray tomography, as well as programming (e.g., Python, C++, or Fortran).
• Demonstrate innovative thinking, creativity, and the ability to work independently.
• Good teamwork skills and the ability and interest in working in a team.

We will place great emphasis on personal qualities.

Join KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research, and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in driving and contributing to the transition to a sustainable society. Here, you are offered the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic workplace with good working conditions and benefits. Gender equality, diversity, and equal opportunities are a quality issue and a clear part of KTH's values as a university and public authority.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work and develop at KTH.

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Contact details for union representatives.

Application

You apply via KTH's recruitment system. As an applicant, you are primarily responsible for ensuring your application is complete when submitted.

The application should include:

• CV including relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts from previous university studies. Translations into English or Swedish if the original documents are not issued in a Western European language.
• A brief statement on why you wish to conduct research, your academic interests, and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. Max 1 page long.
• Contact details for reference persons or recommendation letters

The application must be received by KTH no later than the last day of the application period at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

About the Position

The employment is permanent, but limited to a maximum of two years.

A postdoctoral position is a time-limited qualifying employment with a main focus on research, intended as a first career step after the PhD.

Other

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It may occur that a position at KTH is classified for security reasons. If this applies to this specific position, a security clearance check of the applicant will be conducted in accordance with the Security Protection Act (2018:585) with consent. In these cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant passes the security clearance check.

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