There are many challenges in aeronautical and space structures and materials nowadays. The urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emission in aviation calls for the lightest structures possible without compromising safety. In space, radiation damage to materials poses a serious threat to the safety, durability and reusability of spacecrafts. The designs of future aerospace materials and structures will require high-fidelity computational models to predict their performance under different loading and radiation conditions and powerful optimization algorithms to find the best possible compositions and configurations to minimize their environmental impact. Addressing the bottleneck issues in these problems will require ground-breaking technological and computational solutions.

4 PhD positions are available under the QAIMS (Quantum-enhanced Artificial Intelligence for sustainable Materials and Structural design in aerospace) lab of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of TU Delft. They fall in the exciting interdisciplinary area of Machine Learning (ML), Quantum Computing (QC), composites optimization and materials modelling. Through these projects, we aim to establish novel and sustainable processes and solutions, powered by ML and QC, for the design of materials and structures in aerospace. 

The supervision will be jointly carried out by a team of academics from the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering (Dr. Boyang Chen, Dr. Yinglu Tang and Dr. Roeland De Breuker) and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (Dr. Sebastian Feld, Quantum & Computer Engineering and Dr. Matthias Möller, Applied Mathematics) of TU Delft.

PhD Position:  Modelling of the interaction of high-energy radiation and space materials

When energetic particles interact with materials in space environment, they can cause defects and resultant property degradation. In this project, QC-enhanced ML will be explored to train a computational model for space material behaviour under radiation. Ultimately, the objective is to make use of the trained model for the design of space materials under different mission conditions.

Candidates should have a MSc degree in aerospace engineering, applied mathematics, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, physics, materials science, or a related field. Candidates should possess a strong foundation on linear algebra, optimization, computational mechanics (of composite structures or of materials at the atomistic level), and should have good programming skills. We are looking for candidates who  

- are independent, self-motivated, explorative, rigorous, and resilient

- are open-minded, enjoy communication and networking with peers

- are eager to learn new disciplines and embark on interdisciplinary research

- have excellent command of English, both verbally and in writing

- have first experiences with machine learning and/or quantum computing

- have demonstratable passion for aeronautics or space

TU Delft offers PhD-candidates a 4-year contract, with an official go/no go progress assessment after one year. Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2434 per month in the first year to € 3111 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. At TU Delft we embrace diversity and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact! 

Faculty Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 250 PhD candidates and over 2,700 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.