Materials and Mechanics Intern

Role Purpose

The Summer 2027 PhD intern will support a reliability study of brittle materials and optical thin films deposited on them. The study will identify film and substrate properties that strongly influence reliability and performance. Under the guidance of technical staff, the intern will review literature, characterize materials, support reliability testing, develop hypotheses, and correlate observed behavior with measured material and film properties. The work will examine interfacial behavior, the effects of surface topography on wear, film stress, use-case damage resistance, and surface strength.

Key Responsibilities

• Review literature on thin film–substrate interactions, reliability mechanisms, and relevant characterization techniques.
• Process and characterize brittle, glass-based multi-material systems using available laboratory methods and accurately document the results.
• Support reliability testing to assess the effects of interfacial properties.
• Correlate wear and damage behavior in coated substrates with material properties, identify governing failure mechanisms, and evaluate process-structure-performance relationships that drive reliability.
• Develop and test hypotheses, analyze results, and correlate performance with measured material, surface, and film properties.

Experiences/Education - Required

• Currently pursuing a PhD in mechanical engineering, materials engineering, or a closely related field.
• Research, coursework, or laboratory experience in experimental mechanics, mechanical testing/characterization, materials science, thin film processing/testing or a related discipline.
• Ability to follow laboratory safety procedures, experimental protocols, and data-documentation practices.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail and a willingness to learn hands-on laboratory techniques.
• Ability to organize, analyze, and communicate experimental results clearly in written and verbal formats.
• Ability to work collaboratively with scientists and engineers while independently completing assigned tasks.

Experiences/Education - Desired

• Familiarity with thin-film deposition processes or experience characterizing them.
• Experience with materials characterization or mechanical testing, such as surface roughness measurement, contact-angle measurement, microscopy, hardness testing, adhesion testing, or strength testing.
• Familiarity with experimental design, data analysis, and technical literature review.
• Experience using spreadsheets, data-analysis tools, or scientific programming languages to organize and analyze experimental data.
• Knowledge of experimental mechanics of brittle materials, including glass, ceramics, or related material systems.