This PhD project will be conducted in close collaboration with ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (www.astron.nl). ASTRON develops and operates highly sensitive radio telescopes to capture and process radio signals that originate from space. These signals can, for example, originate from various celestial objects that emit radiation in the radio frequency (RF) spectrum.

As most of these signals are extremely weak, high sensitivity radio receivers are required, i.e. their equivalent noise temperature must be very low. Moreover, as the RF spectrum is getting increasingly crowded, these receivers must also be able to handle large interference signals. This can be partly accomplished by the use of filters that block parts of the spectrum with (known) interference sources. However, typical complex filters increase the equivalent noise temperature of the receiver significantly and not all interferes can be suppressed. Therefore, the receiver must be designed to also exhibit a large dynamic range in order to avoid non-linear effects that disturb the quality of the signals of interest.

The goal of this PhD research is to develop innovative concepts for the design of fully integrated receiver front-ends, from antenna to ADC, that exhibit high sensitivity. Through the collaboration with ASTRON and the rest of the MID4automotive consortium (see below), a variety of promising integration technology platforms are available for this.

Embedding of the PhD project in the MID4automotive project

The PhD project is funded through the European project MID4automotive with partner from the Netherlands and Germany. This project will address the integration challenges of the application domains automotive radar and connectivity by the use of 3D-MID technology. 3D-MID is a packaging and integration technology that allows for three-dimensional arrangements of components and great flexibility in the shape of the final module. The consortium includes world-leading European companies, research institutes and universities among which are the end users, technology providers, component and (sub-)system manufacturers as well as system test specialists. Together, they are targeting international markets worth billions of euros and where this project is a key enabling collaboration effort to achieve their business goals.

The PhD project is part of the connectivity work package of MID4automotive. While the research is strongly focussed on ASTRON's radio astronomy use case, which is not the primary scope of MID4automotive, the targeted innovations are also in line with the wireless connectivity market, where especially NXP has indicated an interest.

• Applicants should have, or expect to receive, a Master of Science degree or equivalent in a relevant electrical engineering or applied physics discipline.
• The selection is based on the candidates' application documents in combination with their performance during the interviews and possible assignments.
• Besides good subject knowledge, emphasis will be placed on creative thinking, motivation, ability to work in a team, initiative to work independently and personal suitability for research training.
• An educational background in the areas of antennas, filters, and other microwave engineering components, and/or wireless signal processing is required. Practical experience is considered beneficial.
• Proficiency in using scientific and engineering software packages such as Matlab, ADS, CST etc. are advantageous.
• Fluency in spoken and written English is essential.

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.
• 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.