Understand and manipulate quantum geometry in kagome metals (PhD scholarship)

Applications close

1 October 2026

• You'll receive a stipend of $40,000 per annum for a maximum duration of 3.5 years while undertaking a QUT PhD. The duration includes an extension of up to six months if approved for your candidature. This is the full-time, tax exempt rate which will index annually.
• You will receive a tuition fee offset/sponsorship, covering the cost of your tuition fees for the first four full-time equivalent years of your doctoral studies.
• As the scholarship recipient, you will have the opportunity to work with a team of leading researchers, to undertake your own innovative research in and across the field.
• During this project, you need to work in domestic and international institutions such as Australia's Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). While we would encourage you to apply for their institutional grants, the fund can only be used for non-stipend purpose (e.g. experimental consumables, travel grant, and open-access publication charge).

You need to meet the entry requirements for QUT's Doctor of Philosophy , including any English language requirements.

You must:

• enrol as a full-time, internal student (unless approval for part-time and/or external study is obtained)
• commence your degree by 1 Oct 2026
• have an honours or master degree in one of these areas:
  • physics
  • theoretical chemistry
  • materials science and engineering.

First-authored publications on refereed journals is a bonus.

Apply for this scholarship at the same time you apply for admission to QUT's Doctor of Philosophy .

• The first step is to email Dr Meng Li, detailing your academic and research background, your motivation to research in this field and interest in this scholarship, and include your CV.
• If supported to apply, you will then submit an expression of interest (EOI) following the advice at how to apply for a research degree .
• In your EOI, nominate Dr Meng Li,  as your proposed principal supervisor, and copy the link to this scholarship web page into question two of the financial details section.

This PhD project will investigate quantum geometry-driven electronic transport in kagome lattices as a pathway beyond the scaling limits of conventional silicon electronics. By engineering crystal symmetry and magnetic order through controlled chemical doping, the research aims to tune the quantum metric and realize giant nonlinear Hall effects in transition-metal kagome compounds. High-quality single crystals will be synthesised, fabricated into micro-devices, and studied via physical property measurements to probe quantum-metric responses. This project will deliver fundamental insights into quantum materials and establish a platform for low-power quantum devices.

The successful candidate will work within one of the three new research pillars proposed by the Centre for Materials Science at QUT - quantum technology. The PhD will be supervised by Dr Meng Li and based at the School of Chemistry and Physics at QUT. The candidate will join a vibrant interdisciplinary research environment and have opportunities to engage with national and international collaborators, develop advanced mixed-methods skills (including experimental, engineering, and quantitative analysis), and embark industry engagement.