X-ray diffraction is often employed to determine crystal structures of complex solid or molecules or to investigate strain and stress in materials.
A more complex application of x-ray diffraction considers scattering processes beyond the first order approximation that treats the electronic cloud as spherical and allows to investigate complex ordering phenomena in strongly correlated electron systems, like the topological magnetic structures shown in figure 1. In such conditions the diffracted intensity depends on several parameters like the incident polarization of the light, the incident photon energy, the final polarization, the symmetry of the object studied, and a further variable known as the azimuthal angle which represents a rotation of the sample about the diffraction condition.
At present there are few people able to routinely calculate such complex scattering process, simulate the dependencies and infer the ordering that produced certain patterns. A way to make the technique more accessible and to expand the user community is to develop and maintain easily accessible and well documented software readily available for the user community to simulate possible outcomes of their experiments and fit their data.
A first version of a web interface based on available software is already successfully running on Kubernetes, and the results of some simulations are shown in figure 2. At present the functionality is limited to simulations of single magnetic domains. We would like to extend and polish this setup, so that it includes more functionality and works more smoothly from a user perspective.
The successful candidate will extend the front-end web interface with JavaScript and Django to include fitting capability and to simulate the effect of a variation of the model on the magnetic ordering and the related dependencies. He/she/they will develop/extend their understanding of container-based software architecture and Kubernetes, web development, Python and version control.
Possible further development will include developing a Django-based REST API interface to allow advanced users to include multiple domains fittings and simulations and writing code to correct data or simulations for geometrical factors depending on the sample and beam shape.
Applications are now closed for this project.
Please apply via our online application portal. The vacancy that you are applying for is the "Summer Placements 2023" listing, you will then have the opportunity to select up to three projects to apply for. This project's reference is 23010SP.
Interviews will be scheduled for 6, 7, 8, and 9 February 2023.
If you are disabled and would like to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, please let us know via the online application process.
Please note that this role does not meet the required skill level for a Skilled Worker visa and therefore we would be unable to sponsor individuals due to the current UK Home Office immigration rules. To be appointed to the role, candidates will need to have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship from us.
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