BT/MT: »Simulations on nanostructures used as a strain gauge«

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (www.fraunhofer.com) currently operates 76 institutes and research institutions throughout Germany and is the world’s leading applied research organization. Around 30,000 employees work with an annual research budget of 2.9 billion euros.

The application of nanostructures as functional surfaces in industry is steadily increasing since production technologies such as laser ablation or two-photon polymerization are becoming faster, and replication processes increase the maximal structurable area year by year. Various applications of nanostructures have already been demonstrated, e.g. anti-reflection coatings, microlens arrays or anti-bacterial layers.

In this work, the question which structural and material properties are required to functionalize nanostructures as strain gauges will be answered. After formulating the physical principles, the possible application areas of nanostructure strain gauges will be discussed. Optical simulations will be done to analyze the behavior of different geometries when distortion occurs. A test case will be designed and specifications for a prototype measurement system will be derived.

What you will do

• Optical calculation on nanostructures such as gratings and their transmission spectrum
• Development and implementation of a physical model regarding the deformation of nanostructures
• Simulation and deviation analysis

What you bring to the table

• You are studying physics, optics or a comparable subject
• First experience in optical simulations
• A high degree of independence
• Good language skills in German and/or English

What you can expect

• Ideal conditions for practical experience alongside your studies
• Professional supervision and collaboration in a dedicated team
• Learning to use state-of-the-art simulation software for optical simulations
• Flexible working conditions

Questions according to this position will be answered by:
Dipl.-Ing. Andreas Ulm
Research assistant production metrology
Phone: +49 241 8904-553