Phd position : Friction Tunability via Magnetically Responsive Shell-Structured Surfaces

Research area and project description: Friction plays a central role in a wide range of engineering systems, from energy dissipation and wear to locomotion, manipulation, and tactile interactions. Despite its importance, friction is typically a passive property, determined by material choice and surface structuring during fabrication. This PhD project aims to introduce a new paradigm for actively tunable friction, enabled by magnetically responsive, shell-structured surfaces. The core hypothesis is that frictional behavior can be dynamically controlled by coupling mechanical instabilities in thin elastic shells with externally applied magnetic fields. By reconfiguring surface topography in real time, the contact area, load distribution, and frictional forces can be actively modulated on demand. The PhD work will combine numerical simulations, experiments, and theoretical modeling. Finite element models will be developed to capture large deformations, magneto-elastic coupling, and frictional contact in thin shells. In parallel, custom tabletop experiments will be designed to measure frictional response under controlled magnetic fields and loading conditions. The project further aims to develop reduced-order and scaling models that link magnetic input, shell geometry, and frictional response in a predictive framework. The PhD student will be part of a strong international collaboration and will spend research stays at EPFL (Switzerland), where state-of-the-art facilities for the fabrication and testing of magnetic shells are available. The outcomes of the project are expected to advance fundamental understanding of friction and contact mechanics, while enabling new strategies for adaptive surfaces in soft robotics, haptics, and advanced manufacturing. The PhD position is fully funded through a DFF research grant. Project description: For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application. Qualifications and specific competences: Applicants must hold a relevant master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline. The successful candidate is expected to be highly motivated, independent, and able to work at the intersection of theory, computation, and experimentation. Strong written and oral communication skills in English are required. As the PhD project involves close collaboration with EPFL (Switzerland), the candidate must be willing and able to spend at least three months at EPFL during the PhD period. Hands-on experience in computational solid mechanics (e.g., finite element methods) and/or experimental mechanics is considered a strong advantage. Familiarity with nonlinear mechanics, contact mechanics, or magneto-mechanical systems is beneficial but not mandatory.