PhD Position on Analog Signal Processing Exploiting Chip Scale Frequency Combs

Photonics, a key enabling technology, is critical to several sectors, including sensors, automotive, and communications. The development of Photonic integrated circuits is crucial to the ongoing advancements in high-speed optical transceivers. A significant element of modern transceiver technology is digital signal processing (DSP), which drives the power consumption, size, and cost of the devices. Therefore, techniques are being sought to reduce the requirement for DSP or to diminish its complexity. TU/e, in collaboration with several European partners, is seeking to develop and exploit chip-scale micro frequency combs and make them applicable to a broad application space. Within this project, TU/e will be responsible for developing the technology demonstration between academia and industrial partners.

Project Description:

The prestigious European Innovation Council (EIC) Transition project, CombTools, aims to establish a powerful technology base and a corresponding long-term sustainable ecosystem that allows for leveraging the full potential of Chip Scale Kerr combs in highly relevant and emerging application fields.

Driven by substantial research efforts, chip-scale Kerr comb generators have emerged as a novel class of light sources with unique features. They offer ultra-wide optical spectra with hundreds of narrow-linewidth phase-locked tones spaced by a free spectral range (FSR) of typically tens of GHz. The technology is compatible with wafer-scale processing, thus reducing cost and offering the potential for volume manufacturing.

Despite this tremendous potential, Kerr frequency combs have not yet found their way into commercially relevant applications. This is partly due to the fact that chip scale Kerr comb generators are currently not available as commercial products, neither on the system level nor on the component level. Consequently, any exploitation of the technology requires significant investments to establish in-house fabrication of such devices or to engage in scientific collaborations with leading research groups.

The most mature chip scale Kerr frequency combs are based on silicon nitride (Si3N4). This platform has been used in all system-level demonstrations so far. However, it is still impossible to obtain photonic integrated circuits based on silicon nitride (or any other material platform) that give reliable access to reproducible frequency comb spectra.

A unique application space is to reduce the reliance on digital signal processing by exploiting the stable, low-linewidth, and phase-locked nature of frequency combs for analog signal processing.

Your Role:

As a PhD student, you will be responsible for:

• Developing and implementing innovative solutions for Analog Signal Processing exploiting chip scale frequency combs.
• Developing and comparing analog signal processing to conventional digital signal processing approaches.
• Collaborating with a team of researchers and engineers to design, fabricate, and test devices.
• Publishing research findings in high-impact journals and presenting your work at international conferences and at regular meetings of the EU project CombTools.

Requirements:

• A master's degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong background in optics, photonics, and signal processing.
• Experience with experimental work in optics and photonics is a plus.
• A team player able to work in a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment.
• Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level). There is no Dutch language requirement.

Salary Benefits:

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 evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• 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. €2,770 max. €3,539).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• 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, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.

38 hours per week

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