The mission of the Department of Electrical Engineering is to acquire, share and transfer knowledge and understanding in the whole field of Electrical Engineering through education, research and valorization. We work towards a ‘Smart Sustainable Society’, a ‘Connected World’, and a healthy humanity (‘Care & Cure’). Activities share an application-oriented character, a high degree of complexity and a large synergy between multiple facets of the field.
Research is carried out into the applications of electromagnetic phenomena in all forms of energy conversion, telecommunication and electrical signal processing. Existing and new electrical components and systems are analyzed, designed and built. The Electrical Engineering department takes its inspiration from contacts with high-tech industry in the direct surrounding region and beyond.
The department is innovative and has international ambitions and partnerships. The result is a challenging and inspiring setting in which socially relevant issues are addressed.
Are you excited to co-develop a next-generation optical wireless communication system, enhanced by advanced detectors?
Can you bridge the fields of electronic and photonic integration to make advanced light detectors to accelerate wireless communication?
As the demand for wireless communication surges, the transition from 5G to the next generation of technology is imperative. This new phase necessitates a tenfold increase in bit rates, enhanced user capacity, and significantly reduced power consumption. Given that 80% of data traffic is directed indoors, the current reliance on outdoor base stations is proving inadequate. To address this gap, robust indoor infrastructure is essential for seamless wireless access to end users.
With fiber access being pushed closer to the end devices (Fiber to the Room (FttR)), the need for high-speed connections has never been more critical. This opens the door to innovative wireless solutions, particularly at extremely high frequencies, where directional beams and line-of-sight propagation become vital. These advancements are especially pertinent in dense environments, such as airport halls, convention centers, and logistics centers, where autonomous vehicles operate. The complexity and size of indoor optical systems pose challenges in scalability, power consumption, and maintenance. While wireless networks present a viable solution for indoor environments by replacing optical cable connections, current RF wireless infrastructure struggles with spectrum congestion, high power demands, and limited bandwidth. Optical Wireless Communication (OWC) is emerging as a promising research area, offering a cost-effective way to enhance existing RF networks and provide ultra-high data-rate connectivity for the "last mile."
Join us in pioneering the future of indoor wireless communication, where optical wireless links may surpass traditional millimeter-wave radio communications, ensuring efficient and reliable connectivity. If you're passionate about transforming the landscape of wireless technology and excited to embark in the exciting new world of photonics, we invite you to apply for this PhD opportunity!
This project aims to innovate detector design to overcome these limitations and improve performance in indoor optical wireless systems. The proposed project will focus on creating components, in particular integrated photonics-electronics components that can support optical wireless communication for mass-market client devices and pave the way for miniaturization and cost reduction. In the initial stage, the project will model the entire communication chain to understand and optimize the detector and its parameters. In this project, you will focus on developing a suitable solution for integrating photo detectors with the analog front-end. You will work on this solution, ensuring it is scalable, has a wide aperture (to maintain a good signal-to-noise ratio), a wide bandwidth, and avoids mechanically movable components. Nonetheless, it must be able to capture light signals from a range of directions, including distributed MIMO and angular diversity. In this work, you will examine several trade-offs involved in scaling detector arrays, including bandwidth limitations, interconnect considerations, and electronic design (buffers, TIA, etc.). Your work will focus on implementing TIA and buffer circuits in existing advanced semiconductor technologies, such as silicon or III-V. A key challenge in this activity will be to consider the heterogeneous integration (HI) methodology. The consideration of HI for the PD-TIA array system involves integrating a PD array, typically implemented in a III-V technology, such as InP, with a Buffer-TIA array implemented in a high-speed Silicon technology, such as SiGe BiCMOS. In the project, you will have the opportunity to design, fabricate, and measure electronic ICs in either silicon or III-V semiconductor technologies, which will form part of a demonstrator for a PD-Buffer-TIA configuration, thereby validating the requirements of a detector for optical wireless communication applications.
A closely related PhD position will be available soon, in the same project. It will focus more on monolithic integration. In your application, we invite you to elaborate on your experience, courses, or project work relevant to analog IC integration in CMOS/Bipolar technologies, design and modeling of photonic systems, the theory of communication systems, and the ability to use design tools to synthesize/simulate circuits and conduct experimental work. We do not expect you to already have experience in all these fields, but we would like to evaluate how you can develop in these multidisciplinary fields.
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A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Electrical Engineering.
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Proven expertise or evidence of willingness to learn about electronic-photonic integration and the principles of communication systems.
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A research-oriented attitude and the willingness to work independently.
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Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interested in collaborating with industrial partners.
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Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students.
Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level).
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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%.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
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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!
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.
The mission of the Department of Electrical Engineering is to acquire, share and transfer knowledge and understanding in the whole field of Electrical Engineering through education, research and valorization. We work towards a ‘Smart Sustainable Society’, a ‘Connected World’, and a healthy humanity (‘Care & Cure’). Activities share an application-oriented character, a high degree of complexity and a large synergy between multiple facets of the field.
Research is carried out into the applications of electromagnetic phenomena in all forms of energy conversion, telecommunication and electrical signal processing. Existing and new electrical components and systems are analyzed, designed and built. The Electrical Engineering department takes its inspiration from contacts with high-tech industry in the direct surrounding region and beyond.
The department is innovative and has international ambitions and partnerships. The result is a challenging and inspiring setting in which socially relevant issues are addressed.
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact dr.ir. Piyush Kaul ([email protected]) or prof.dr.ir. Jean-Paul Linnartz ([email protected]).
Visit our website for more information about the application process. You can also contact [email protected].
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.
We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:
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Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
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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.
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You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
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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.
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Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
Type of employment: temporary position | Contract type: full time | Number of positions: 1 | Full-time equivalent: 1.0 FTE | City: Eindhoven | County: Noord-Brabant | Country: Netherlands | Reference number: 2026/493 | Published: 2026-08-05 | Last application date: 2026-09-05
