PhD in Neuromorphic Photonics for Event-Driven Sensing via Heterogeneous Integration

Introduction
Are you inspired by developing the next generation of intelligent photonic chips? Join us to pioneer heterogeneously integrated photonic technologies for ultra-fast, energy-efficient optical information processing in event-driven sensing.

Job Description
Photonics is widely regarded as the key enabling technology of the 21st century and its application and use in many scientific and industrial fields is accelerated through Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), which combine many optical components into a miniaturized chip format. Similar to electronic ICs, PICs are revolutionizing areas such as healthcare, communication and sensing, and have the potential to be disruptive to the whole society. A diversity of PIC-based sensors have been proposed, such as environmental sensors (e.g. gas sensing), medical sensors (e.g. optical coherence tomography), fiber Bragg grating sensors for temperature or strain measurement, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and others.

Recently, information processing has been evolving towards architectures inspired by biological neural systems. In particular, neuromorphic photonics aims to develop artificial photonic neurons that process information through sparse, event-driven optical spikes, enabling sensing systems with unprecedented speed and energy efficiency. A central objective of the project is to develop highly sensitive photodetector neurons by combining resonant tunneling diode (RTD) excitable dynamics with quantum-dot active devices capable of providing a nonlinear amplifying response to extremely weak optical stimuli. These photonic neurons will be realized as compact InP coupons designed for heterogeneous integration onto silicon-based photonic platforms, enabling scalable co-integration with advanced photonic and electronic circuits. The developed technology will be validated in a proof-of-concept event-driven sensing application, where relevant information is processed only when meaningful events occur, significantly reducing latency, data volumes and energy consumption.

You will investigate the complete technology stack, including device physics, photonic and electronic design, modelling, chip layout, cleanroom fabrication, heterogeneous integration and experimental characterization. You will collaborate closely with researchers working on photonic neurons and heterogeneous integration, contributing to the development of a new generation of energy-efficient intelligent photonic sensors.

You will be part of the Photonic Integration (PhI) group at TU/e, which has a long track record of setting pioneering results in indium phosphide (InP) based photonic integration. We are a key player in the field, as evidenced by our founding and coordinating role in the globally leading Joint European Platform for photonic integrated components and circuits JePPIX. We take a leading role in driving InP-based photonic integration towards the next level. A key enabler for our work is our state-of-the-art Nanolab cleanroom facility

(http://www.tue.nl/nanolab), which hosts a state-of-the-art 4” processing line for III-V semiconductors, including an ASML DUV scanner, AIXTRON MOCVD G10 epitaxy reactor, electron beam lithography, diverse plasma etching tools, wafer-level bonding equipment and others.

Job Requirements

• A master’s degree in electrical engineering, applied physics or similar.
• A research-oriented attitude.
• Knowledge on physics of semiconductor devices and optical waveguides
• Affinity for hands-on practical work in cleanroom environment
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interested in collaborating with industrial partners.
• Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level).

Conditions of Employment
A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station.

In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. € 3,204 - max. € 4,051 gross base salary per month (full-time)).
• In addition to your base salary, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus, both calculated based on your annual gross base salary.
• As a TU/e employee, you participate in the ABP pension scheme, providing retirement pension and pension benefits for surviving dependents and occupational disability. TU/e pays 70% of the pension premium, while employees contribute the remaining 30%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, and on-campus children's day care.
• Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
• We support your wellbeing with free 24/7 access to OpenUp, providing you and your family with mental health support, expert guidance, and online training.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the Expat Scheme) for international candidates.

On our website you can discover even more information about our conditions of employment. Build on your career at TU/e!

About us
We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community.

Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here.

Information
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager dr. Victor Calzadilla, v.calzadilla@tue.nl.

Visit our website for more information about the application process. You can also contact HRServices.ee@tue.nl.

Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application
We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references. Kindly note that we may reach out to references at any stage of the recruitment process. We recommend notifying your references upon submitting your application.

Ensure that you submit all the requested application documents. We give priority to complete applications.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.

Please note

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check, please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

PhD in Neuromorphic Photonics for Event-Driven Sensing via Heterogeneous Integration

Photonics is widely regarded as the key enabling technology of the 21st century and its application and use in many scientific and industrial fields is accelerated through Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs), which combine many optical components into a miniaturized chip format. Similar to electronic ICs, PICs are revolutionizing areas such as healthcare, communication and sensing, and have the potential to be disruptive to the whole society. A diversity of PIC-based sensors have been proposed, such as environmental sensors (e.g. gas sensing), medical sensors (e.g. optical coherence tomography), fiber Bragg grating sensors for temperature or strain measurement, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and others.

Recently, information processing has been evolving towards architectures inspired by biological neural systems. In particular, neuromorphic photonics aims to develop artificial photonic neurons that process information through sparse, event-driven optical spikes, enabling sensing systems with unprecedented speed and energy efficiency. A central objective of the project is to develop highly sensitive photodetector neurons by combining resonant tunneling diode (RTD) excitable dynamics with quantum-dot active devices capable of providing a nonlinear amplifying response to extremely weak optical stimuli. These photonic neurons will be realized as compact InP coupons designed for heterogeneous integration onto silicon-based photonic platforms, enabling scalable co-integration with advanced photonic and electronic circuits. The developed technology will be validated in a proof-of-concept event-driven sensing application, where relevant information is processed only when meaningful events occur, significantly reducing latency, data volumes and energy consumption.

You will investigate the complete technology stack, including device physics, photonic and electronic design, modelling, chip layout, cleanroom fabrication, heterogeneous integration and experimental characterization. You will collaborate closely with researchers working on photonic neurons and heterogeneous integration, contributing to the development of a new generation of energy-efficient intelligent photonic sensors.

You will be part of the Photonic Integration (PhI) group at TU/e, which has a long track record of setting pioneering results in indium phosphide (InP) based photonic integration. We are a key player in the field, as evidenced by our founding and coordinating role in the globally leading Joint European Platform for photonic integrated components and circuits JePPIX. We take a leading role in driving InP-based photonic integration towards the next level. A key enabler for our work is our state-of-the-art Nanolab cleanroom facility

(http://www.tue.nl/nanolab), which hosts a state-of-the-art 4” processing line for III-V semiconductors, including an ASML DUV scanner, AIXTRON MOCVD G10 epitaxy reactor, electron beam lithography, diverse plasma etching tools, wafer-level bonding equipment and others.

Assistant Professor in Integrated Circuits for Edge AI

Do you aspire to lead a research team, teach the next generation of engineers and are you ready to bridge the gap between innovative circuit design and practical edge AI applications?

Introduction
The Department of Electrical Engineering, Integrated Circuits (IC) group is seeking an Assistant Professor in Integrated Circuits to strengthen our research and teaching in edge AI computing. We are looking for a researcher with expertise in energy-efficient analog and mixed-signal CMOS design, open-source chip design methodologies, and hardware accelerators for edge AI. This is a tenured position offering the opportunity to establish an independent, innovative research program while contributing to teaching and mentoring within the IC group and the EE department.

You will lead research on energy-efficient computing solutions such as neuromorphic, bio-inspired, and emerging computing paradigms for edge AI, with particular emphasis on in-sensor and near-sensor processing, low-power analog/digital/mixed-signal design, and open-source design tools and methodologies. The ideal candidate will combine deep expertise in circuit design with a commitment to accessible, reproducible research and a strong vision for advancing computing paradigms beyond conventional approaches. Edge AI computing will enable the deployment of energy-efficient and scalable applications across smart systems, robotics, mobility, healthcare, high-tech systems, among others. You will secure competitive national and European funding and collaborate closely with industry and academic partners to develop transformative technologies for edge computing.

The Integrated Circuits group
This position is embedded in the Integrated Circuits group within the Department of Electrical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). Our IC group consists of four full professors, four associate professors, five assistant professors, three support staff and many PhDs, PostDoc and EngD students. The IC group is world-renowned for its research on advanced integrated circuit design with a strong track record in analog and mixed-signal IC development. The group has established expertise in RF/IF/LF circuit design for wireless application, sensor frontends, and computing systems with significant industrial partnerships. The IC group actively collaborates with university research centers and institutes especially the Casimir Institute. The IC group is a multi-cultural and diverse team.

This position represents an exciting opportunity to join IC group’s NanoComputing Research Lab and expand our growing research portfolio of novel computing paradigms for edge AI and neuromorphic computing. The successful candidate will strengthen the lab's capabilities in energy-efficient analog/mixed-signal design while establishing new research directions in open-source chip design methodologies, in-/near-sensor processing, and hardware acceleration for edge AI. This growth will complement the group's existing research, industrial partnerships and create new synergies across the department, research centers and institutes.

Job Description
Research Leadership

• Establish and lead an independent research program focused on energy-efficient CMOS design for edge AI, neuromorphic computing, and in-/near-sensor computing.
• Develop domain-specific architecture and neuromorphic hardware accelerators for edge AI with emphasis on in-/near-sensor processing architectures with direct sensor integration.
• Design and optimize RTL implementations and digital accelerator designs for neuromorphic and edge AI workloads, including mapping of algorithms to hardware.
• Conduct analog-digital co-design and mixed-signal SoC integration, combining custom analog signal conditioning with digital processing engines.
• Establish comprehensive design and validation flows encompassing layout and physical design, FPGA and ASIC prototyping, multi-project wafer (MPW) runs, and silicon measurement and characterization.
• Develop and promote open-source chip design methodologies and tools for accessible, reproducible research in integrated circuits.
• Supervise and mentor students, bachelors, masters, PhDs, EngDs and Post-Docs.
• Collaborate with faculty and experts across disciplines and industry.

Teaching & Curriculum

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in integrated circuits, digital design, analog circuits, or neuromorphic computing (as appropriate to departmental needs).
• Support existing curriculum and help develop innovative course(s) in emerging areas of circuit design and edge AI.
• Supervise PhD and Master's students in research and technical depth.
• Contribute and supervise to bachelor end projects and master graduation end projects.

Service & Professional Contributions

• Contribute to professional communities through conference organization, journal editorship, or reviewing.
• Engage with industry and other academic groups to establish partnerships for research and student internships.

In this role, you will contribute to the ambition of the Beethoven program to educate top talent and strengthen research across the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Job Requirements

• Motivated researcher, with a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a comparable domain.
• Experience with IC design implementation in Silicon of digital and/or mixed signal circuits, including multiple successful tapeout and measurements of the fabricated chip is required.
• Strong network (academia and industry); research collaborations on national and international level i.e., joint projects, publications, etc.
• Ability to conduct high-quality academic research, reflected in demonstratable outputs.
• Ability to teach, demonstrated by experience or assistance in teaching. Informed vision on teaching and learning within your own discipline. (For asst prof positions: Motivated to teach, contribute to teaching processes, and to develop excellent teaching skills.)
• Experience in management of professionals, supervising students.
• Strong cooperation skills and ability to work in an interdisciplinary team.
• Effective communication and leadership skills, including supervision, coaching and mentoring of students and staff and leading a project
• Excellent (written and verbal) proficiency in English.

Conditions of Employment
A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station.

In addition, we offer you:

• Salary in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale 11-12, ranging from €4925,- to €7573,- gross base salary per month (full-time).
• In addition to your base salary, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus, both calculated based on your annual gross base salary.
• As a TU/e employee, you participate in the ABP pension scheme, providing retirement pension and pension benefits for surviving dependents and occupational disability. TU/e pays 70% of the pension premium, while employees contribute the remaining 30%.
• A dedicated mentoring program to help you get to know the university and the Dutch (research) environment.
• A Development Track with the prospect of becoming an Associate Professor. If you have a more senior profile, a tailor-made career proposal will be considered.
• High-quality training programs for academic leadership and teaching.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, and on-campus children's day care.
• Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
• We support your wellbeing with free 24/7 access to OpenUp, providing you and your family with mental health support, expert guidance, and online training.
• Partially paid parental leave and an allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team is available for international candidates, as are a tax compensation scheme (the Expat Scheme) and partner career support.

On our website you can discover even more information about our conditions of employment. Build on your career at TU/e!

About us
We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community.

Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here.

Information
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more?
Please contact the hiring manager Prof. dr. Aida Todri-Sanial, a.todri.sanial@tue.nl and Prof. dr. Marion Matters-Kammerer, m.matters@tue.nl.

Visit our website for more information about the application process. You can also contact Thomas Slegers, Senior Recruiter, via t.slegers@tue.nl or +31 6 14835214.

Curious to hear more about what it is like as a professor at TU/e? Please watch the video.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application
We invite you to submit a complete application. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references. Kindly note that we may reach out to references at any stage of the recruitment process. We recommend notifying your references upon submitting your application.
• Description of your scientific interests and plans (1-2 pages).
• Statement of your teaching goals and experience (1-2 pages).

Ensure that you submit all the requested application documents. Please note that incomplete applications may not be considered and could be rejected.

Please note

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check, please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

Assistant Professor in Integrated Circuits for Edge AI

Research Leadership

• Establish and lead an independent research program focused on energy-efficient CMOS design for edge AI, neuromorphic computing, and in-/near-sensor computing.
• Develop domain-specific architecture and neuromorphic hardware accelerators for edge AI with emphasis on in-/near-sensor processing architectures with direct sensor integration.
• Design and optimize RTL implementations and digital accelerator designs for neuromorphic and edge AI workloads, including mapping of algorithms to hardware.
• Conduct analog-digital co-design and mixed-signal SoC integration, combining custom analog signal conditioning with digital processing engines.
• Establish comprehensive design and validation flows encompassing layout and physical design, FPGA and ASIC prototyping, multi-project wafer (MPW) runs, and silicon measurement and characterization.
• Develop and promote open-source chip design methodologies and tools for accessible, reproducible research in integrated circuits.
• Supervise and mentor students, bachelors, masters, PhDs, EngDs and Post-Docs.
• Collaborate with faculty and experts across disciplines and industry.

Teaching & Curriculum

• Teach undergraduate and graduate courses in integrated circuits, digital design, analog circuits, or neuromorphic computing (as appropriate to departmental needs).
• Support existing curriculum and help develop innovative course(s) in emerging areas of circuit design and edge AI.
• Supervise PhD and Master's students in research and technical depth.
• Contribute and supervise to bachelor end projects and master graduation end projects.

Service & Professional Contributions

• Contribute to professional communities through conference organization, journal editorship, or reviewing.
• Engage with industry and other academic groups to establish partnerships for research and student internships.

In this role, you will contribute to the ambition of the Beethoven program to educate top talent and strengthen research across the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

PhD in fast multi-scale electromagnetic modeling for RF systems

Antenna and RF systems play a pivotal role in society by providing a crucial enabling medical diagnostics, transportation, and communication in the form of MRI applications, automotive radars, and 5G/6G applications, respectively. To meet the ever-increasing demands of society, e.g. wireless data bandwidth, antenna and RF systems are exhibiting a higher degree of complexity in materials, geometries, and length scales. As a result, the design of such systems has become quite a challenge. This becomes even more challenging when considering that the design of these systems hinges on the usage of electromagnetic modeling techniques, which require the full re-evaluation of the model when even a small system change is introduced. As such, there is a clear need for electromagnetic modeling techniques that can support the design of the next generation of antenna and RF systems in a fast and accurate manner.

In the computational Electromagnetics research group (EMPMC lab), we have been pioneering the “Linear Embedding of Green’s Operators” method, which is an in-house domain decomposition method based on integral equations. This electromagnetic modeling technique has shown excellent performance both timewise and precision. However, this technique is not yet applicable for the support of the design of next-generation antenna and RF systems. Consequently, we are looking for a PhD candidate to take up the challenge of extending the capabilities of our in-house domain decomposition method to meet the design requirements of these antenna and RF systems at the heart of medical diagnostics and automotive radar applications.

As PhD candidate, you will extend the in-house domain decomposition method by introducing multi-scale techniques, such that small details can be readily incorporated. This will involve hierarchical modeling strategies. Additionally, you will help in extending the possible material properties within the electromagnetic modeling techniques, such that we can model systems consisting of a wide range of varying materials. These extensions will be employed and tested on actual measurement data as a benchmark.

The project will involve mathematical modeling, construction of numerical methods, coding, testing, numerical simulations, and possibly measurements. You will mainly do your programming work in a mixed programming environment, i.e. combining both high-level and low-level programming languages such as Python for the former and Fortran/C++ for the latter. You will be part of the EMPMC lab, headed by prof. van Beurden, embedded within the broader Electromagnetics group.