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\Absender{\small Frank Zirkelbach, Vorderer Lech 49, 86150 Augsburg, Germany\\}

\phone{0821}{436915}

\signature{Frank Zirkelbach (AllerBester)}

\subject{{\bf Application for the postdoctoral position in the area of dymanical processes at the nanoscale}}

\begin{document}

\begin{letter}{%
Dr. Gabriel Bester\\
Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research\\
Heisenbergstr. 1\\
D-70569 Stuttgart}

\opening{Dear Dr. Bester,}

I am writing to apply for the postdoctoral position in the area of dymanical processes at the nanoscale as advertized in the online presence of the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research.
I am currently doing my doctoral studies at the Institute of Physics at the University of Augsburg.
Although the division I am working in concentrates on experimental physics, I have been given the opportunity to work on a rather theoretical field already with the beginning of my Diploma thesis.
The writing of my doctoral thesis has just been completed and the studies will hopefully come to an end soon, presumably with the viva voce in mid October.

During my research, I investigated defect structures in carbon implanted silicon by means of atomistic simulation studies employing both, first-principles and classical potential methods.
Next to interesting results concerning structures of isolated and combined defects as well as transitions between these configurations, conclusions on the not yet fully understood process of silicon carbide precipitation in silicon could be derived.

The project, financially supported by the Bavarian Research Foundation, officially headed by Prof. Stritzker (University of Augsburg) and supervised by Prof. Lindner (PD in Augsburg back then), involved research periods abroad, which I have gratefully taken advantage of within the Computational Materials Physics group of Prof. Nordlund at the University of Helsinki, Finland.
Being experts in the respective field, investigations involved molecular dynamics simulations employing an empirical potential to describe the silicon-carbon interaction.

In a further collaboration with the Theoretical Physics group of Prof. Schmidt and Dr. Rauls at the University of Paderborn, the studies were extended to include first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory.
Obtained results completed the investigations and, by considering and working around shortcomings of the classical approach, supported the ones gained from previous studies.

A quite extensive overview of the whole work is, for instance, given in the latest publication as specified in the attached CV.

I am highly interested in the offered research project involving methods that go beyond ground-state density functional theory.
Modeling a self-organization process realized by a rather simple Monte-Carlo code within the Diploma thesis followed by the doctoral reaseach investigations utilizing the slightly more sophisticated empirical potential molecular dynamics approach, which was extended by the more accurate quantum-mechanical calculations, allowed to gain a considerable amount of experiences within the respective methods and the focus on structures and structural evolution on the nanoscale.
I would like to ... go beyond ...
... and correlated systems ... dynamic correlations ...
... to get into ... as we as the underlying theory.

Doing computational materials science at an experimental physics division starting with the the Diploma thesis, has, since then, demanded a high level of autonomy.
And still, a vivid interaction with experimental scientists was given, my supervisors being amongst them.

Please find appended my CV (including the list of publications) for your review.
For any further information, please feel free to contact me.
I would be happy to send you the latest (not yet available) publication or the preliminary version of my thesis.

I would be very glad to hear from you.

\closing{Yours sincerely,}

\end{letter}

\end{document} 

