About the Role

The Functional Materials and Devices Laboratory in the Department of Physics is looking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to work on an EPSRC-funded project developing vapour-deposited perovskite thin films for high-efficiency multijunction solar cells.

The successful candidate will engineer novel precursor materials and commission a state-of-the-art physical vapor deposition (PVD) system in the new Strand labs, located in central London, in collaboration with industry partners (Kurt J. Lesker) to enable scalable manufacturing of complex alloyed perovskite compositions.

The Department of Physics at King's College London is diverse, international, and friendly with a positive atmosphere of collaboration and support between research groups. We offer a welcoming environment and welcome applications from applicants of all backgrounds.

The successful candidate will work closely with Dr Patel and other group members, mentor MSc and PhD students, and help guide the direction of the project. They will have the opportunity to experience both academic and industrial research environments, forge new collaborations and attend international conferences. Building on your existing skills, you will be expected to develop additional expertise in thin film materials processing and characterisation, gain new skills, and confidently place our research in context within the broader scientific community.

The successful PDRA candidate will be based in laboratories in the heart of London at the historic Strand Campus. Along with the equipment available in the Patel Lab, you will have access to excellent facilities at King's Strand Research Facility and the London Centre of Nanotechnology. The research group and the Department of Physics is a diverse and inclusive team, and there are many ongoing outreach activities that the successful candidate will have the opportunity to participate in.

Within King's, you will be part of the Department of Physics, which belongs to the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences (NMES). Supporting our staff is important to us and we offer a range of provision including flexible working, caring support, and training opportunities. The university is making significant investment in the Faculty and both student and staff numbers are growing. Our staff come from over 45 countries and around 56% of our students are from outside the UK.

Further details are available at www.kcl.ac.uk/nmes.

The study of Physics at King's dates back to the foundation of the College in 1829. The Department is currently undergoing significant growth with substantial investment in new appointments, research infrastructure and laboratory space refurbishment.

Further information may be found at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/physics

This is a full-time fixed term contract for 2 year and then extendable by 1 years (total 3 years). The successful candidate will start from 1st August 2026, with some flexibility.

Applications closing date: 1st July 2026.

Do not hesitate to contact Dr Jay Patel (jay.patel@kcl.ac.uk) with any questions.

Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About You

Essential Criteria

1. A PhD in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
2. Demonstrable drive to push the boundaries of experimental setups and scientific knowledge.
3. Experience with thin film fabrication using physical vapor deposition (PVD).
4. Experience in X-ray diffraction.
5. The ability to conduct self-directed work whilst working collaboratively with colleagues.
6. Proven skills in data analysis, presentation and interpretation.
7. Proven skills in experimental design.

Desirable Criteria

1. Experience with crystal growth techniques such as Bridgman, Czochralski, or related methods.
2. General familiarity with vacuum systems.
3. Photovoltaic device fabrication and characterisation.

Further Information

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

In your application, please refer to Professorpositions.com