PhD position in theoretical physics

Academic Positions • Stockholm, Stockholm County • Posted June 26, 2026

About the Role

KU Leuven Kulak's Science & Technology group provides education in a wide range of undergraduate science programs (as well as transition options to (bio-)engineering and pharmacy), while also making the link to contemporary research. Within the S&T Kulak group, the research group (Quantum) Gauge Theories focuses on Quantum Chromodynamics and Classical Electrodynamics. This takes us from the smallest nuclear building blocks to model building for non-destructive monitoring in geophysics.


Project

Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) under extreme conditions can be explored in the laboratory through heavy-ion collision experiments. These experiments provide a unique window into the state of matter that existed mere instants after the Big Bang, most notably the quark-gluon plasma (QGP). In addition to the extremely high temperatures and densities achieved in such collisions, non-central interactions generate extraordinarily strong magnetic fields. Understanding t...