Join the group!

Update - October 2025

Thanks to Alberto’s recent FIS and ERC Starting Grant awards, new openings at the PhD and postdoc levels will soon be available, focusing on EPR and optical spectroscopies, thin film engineering, and device fabrication.

If you are passionate about organic optoelectronics or quantum technologies, we would love to hear from you!

Postdoc Position in Chiral Film Engineering

Within the recently funded FIS Starting Grant SPIRO-χ, a 2-year postdoctoral position is available, starting in early 2026. The project focuses on the fabrication, morphological, and optoelectronic characterization of chiral thin films, with particular emphasis on evaporation techniques and the study of their spin-selective properties. The ultimate goal is to develop organic devices where spin management is combined with charge photogeneration, enabling more efficient solar cells and multifunctional spintronic functionalities.

We offer:

- A position within the Laboratory of Molecular Magnetism, bridging the Departments of Industrial Engineering and Chemistry of the University of Florence, with a strongly interdisciplinary and international team.

- Opportunities to develop scientific and management skills, with strong support for your future career.

- Access to fully-equipped laboratories, including evaporation and solution processing facilities, surface characterization techniques (SPM, XPS, UPS, GIWAXS, etc.), opto- and spin-electronics probe stations for charge and spin transport measurements (coming soon!), X-band and W-band EPR laboratories, magnetometers, and access to optical spectroscopy facilities at LENS.

Required skills and qualifications:

- PhD in Physics, Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or related fields.

- Experience in thin film deposition (with a focus on evaporation) and morphological characterization.

- Ability to perform goal-oriented research in an ambitious project.

- Willingness to coordinate and assist doctoral and master students joining the group and contribute to the development of a growing laboratory.

Preferred:

- Experience with chirality and chiral thin films.

- Background in organic optoelectronic and/or spintronic applications.

In addition to our advertised positions, we welcome motivated students and postdocs to apply at any time (contact: alberto.privitera@unifi.it). We are committed to supporting strong candidates in securing external funding and guiding them through the preparation of high-quality applications.

Opportunities in the Group

Master’s thesis students

We invite applications from students in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering, or related disciplines (from UNIFI or worldwide). Motivated students interested in carrying out their final project in our lab are encouraged to contact Alberto. Please briefly describe your previous experience and indicate which techniques or topics you would like to explore in our group.

We are happy to host international Master’s students as well!

PhD students

We welcome PhD candidates in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering, or related disciplines (typical duration: 3 years). Our lab aims to address scientific and technological questions and to train PhD students to become well-rounded researchers - able to fabricate materials, perform characterization experiments (e.g. spectroscopy, transport, etc.), and communicate their work effectively.

Our favorite playground? Spins and light!

Postdoctoral researchers

We are looking for postdoctoral researchers in Spectroscopy, Materials Science, or Device Fabrication. The preferred way to join the group is through joint applications for external funding, such as the Marie Skłodowska-Curie (MSCA) Fellowships. These prestigious fellowships provide scientific independence and valuable transferable skills. Ideal candidates have a strong and complementary background to the group’s activities. The MSCA call typically closes in September, so please contact Alberto well in advance (ideally in spring) if you are interested in applying.

Visiting Researchers

Florence is an exceptional place for research stays (e.g., Erasmus). A successful visit depends on shared research interests, and adequate planning regarding timing and laboratory resources. Before contacting us, please take a look at our research focus and recent publications on our webpage.

Contact information:

University of Florence

Department of Industrial Engineering

Via Santa Marta 3

50139 Firenze, Italy

For shipment:

University of Florence

Department of Chemistry

Via della Lastruccia 3-13

50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy

email: alberto.privitera@unifi.it

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