PhD student position in millimeter-wave integrated antennas for joint communication and sensing

We offer a PhD position where you will be exposed to the state of the art in millimeter-wave antennas and electronics, have the opportunity to contribute to large international projects, as well as projects with Swedish industry. This position is a great opportunity for you to learn both the scientific knowledge and practical skills in key enabling technologies of digital transformation - an area of great importance for industry and society.

Information about the research
The exploration of millimeter (radio) waves is expected to play a key role in the next-generation wireless applications and the digital transformation of society in general. New advanced applications will include immersive communication, holographic telepresence and augmented reality / virtual reality, personalized medicine, autonomous driving, environment surveillance, etc. The ultimate goal is an open wireless connectivity and service platform that can support digital inclusiveness and accessibility worldwide and be evolved with reduced energy consumption and lower ecological costs.

This PhD project is among several research projects of the continuation competence centers ChaseOn and GHz that are hosted by the Department of Electrical Engineering (E2) and the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2). These centers represent today's largest academic-industrial consortium in Sweden and one of the largest consortia in Europe in the field of antenna, microwave, and THz technologies. Industrial partners of this project are Ericsson, SAAB, Kongsberg, UMS and Gapwaves.

The PhD position is placed at the Antenna Group , part of the Department of Electrical Engineering (E2) at Chalmers. The Antenna Group is well known in Sweden and internationally for its scientific contributions to antenna systems for telecommunications, radars, satellites, astronomy and space sciences, as well as disruptive antenna technologies which we have developed for new applications, such as the fifth/sixth generation of cellular networks (5G/6G), having resulted in successful spin-off companies Gapwaves and Bluetest. To enhance the common knowledge and innovations, we explore various ways of multi-disciplinary collaboration and direct interaction with industries, including joint research projects, joint PhD supervision, and training networks. In particular, we offer international PhD courses where we extend the fundamentals in antennas to the cross-disciplinary fields, covering electronic devices, integrated circuits, signal processing, and digital communication. We also offer training and access to a new world-class experimental infrastructure, the Millimeter wave -THz antenna chamber, at Chalmers, and the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing. Furthermore, we stimulate commercial exploitation of the results developed in research projects through collaborations with the participating industries and offer support of Chalmers innovation office for spin-off/start-up activities. At present, the Antenna Group has about 20 members from all over the world. The research and learning environment is international and English is the working language. A vast majority of our graduates successfully continue their professional careers in Swedish industry.

Major responsibilities
In this PhD project, you will perform cutting-edge research on millimeter-wave phased-array antennas with co-integrated electronic circuits for wireless communication and sensing systems, such as “advanced” 5G and 6G, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, automotive radars, and environment surveillance systems.

The focus of the PhD project is millimeter-wave antenna integration methods for efficient coupling of electromagnetic energy between free space and the sensors/transmitters which are embedded in compact and multi-functional systems on-chip, in-package, or in heterogeneously-integrated modules. A particular research challenge is a joint electromagnetic-circuits modelling approach that is needed for the accurate analysis of such antenna systems with a large number of tightly integrated active antenna elements. Another challenge is realization of distributed spatio-temporal frequency filtering properties in the array antenna system to cope with interference between different sensors/transmitters. Your research will include fundamental theoretical studies, numerical simulations, and experimental validation of the proposed antenna-circuit synthesis techniques and integration methods. You are expected to publish papers of high quality and collaborate with other PhD students and senior researchers in the multi-disciplinary team, covering expertise in antennas, electromagnetics, electronics, and mechanics. In particular, you will closely collaborate with another PhD student at MC2, approaching the related challenges from the side of electronics with the complementary research on the active device characterization, thermal management and cooling concepts.

The position generally also includes teaching on Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 10 percent of working hours.

Qualifications
To qualify as a PhD student, you must have, or expect to receive soon, a master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Technical Physics or similar. Knowledge of electromagnetic fields, microwave and antenna engineering is required. You also need to enjoy working in a team and have the ability to present scientific results in English, both in writing and orally.

Advantageous merits: previous design experience in the area of microwave and antenna engineering, previous teaching experience, programming skills (Matlab and Python) and knowledge of mathematical analysis. 

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. PhD students in Sweden have status of employees and have salary, while at the same time have the benefits of students such as reduced transportation costs, subsidized housing etc. The duration of the PhD student contract is full-time four years, plus `X', where `X' is typically 5-6 months, depending on the departmental duties and teaching.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg .
Read more about working at Chalmers  and our benefits  for employees.

We encourage personal health and well-being by organizing group/division/department social events, providing annual wellness allowance to employees, and offering support from the international staff mobility office to newcomers from abroad, including help with the search for affordable student accommodation.

If Swedish is not your native language and you are interested in learning it, Chalmers offers Swedish courses that are free for PhD students. Although the knowledge of Swedish is not mandatory for teaching and research, many PhD students decide to follow these courses.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence . Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20220030 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:

CV:(Please name the document: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter:(Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results.

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).

Application deadline: 6 March 2022. 

For questions, please contact:
Associate Professor Rob Maaskant, [email protected]
Adjunct Professor Sten Gunnarsson, [email protected]
Professor Marianna Ivashina, Electrical engineering, [email protected]  

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***

Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our six Areas of Advance; Energy, Health Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Materials Science, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto: Avancez!

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