The group of Radio Systems (RS) has a vacancy for a PhD student to work on the UT-5G Project.

To support the extreme growth of mobile traffic data, Giga-bit-per-second wireless communication links are required. There is consensus that these links will operate at millimeter wave frequencies. Anticipating on mainly Moore’s law for IC technology evolution, these links would consume far too much power. This groundbreaking project focusses on the most power critical parts of a 5G basestation (BS) system: the digital base band (BB) processor and the RF transmitters in a 5G BS. Power dissipation minimization for these two crucial blocks is vital to achieve an overall optimum.

Facing the abundant number of antennas within MIMO systems, power consumption of the BB processor becomes a bottleneck. Conventional digital signal processing is built upon the premises that digital hardware guarantees 100% correctness and signals are represented by a sufficiently many bits such that no distortion is introduced. Considerable power savings can be achieved if digital hardware is allowed to introduce small unnoticeable distortions while still guaranteeing the overall link quality. We plan research to get just enough precision (JEP) operations and representations, dependent on the number of users, aiming at massive 5G BS systems with a large antenna array (>100 antennas).

Furthermore, within the analog part of transmitters, power amplification is increasingly inefficient. In this project, maximising the efficiency of the RF transmitter in 5G base stations is the second research topic. In this, self-calibration and self-healing techniques wrapped around power optimised transmitters with digital predistortion will be developed, with an emphasis on system level performance and system level power efficiency, and by taking the massive-MIMO requirements into account from the earliest start.

The tasks in this position are to

• analyse (and possibly modify) algorithms for MIMO communication on the use of JEP operations and representations
• develop, together with the UT-5G PhD. candidate on analog processing, digital predistortion, calibration and self-healing algorithms
• investigate the implementation of algorithms for MIMO communication, digital predistortion, calibration and self-healing on standard IC technology.

• We look for a highly motivated, enthusiastic and curiosity-driven researcher.
• You have, or will shortly acquire, a M.Sc. degree in the field of applied mathematics or a closely related study program.
• You have good team spirit and like to work in an internationally oriented environment where many cultures meet.
• You are proficient in English.

Are you interested to be part of our team? Please send your application before August 9th 2020 via the "apply now" button and include:

• an application/motivation letter, emphasizing your specific interest, qualifications and motivation to apply for this position
• a detailed CV (resume) and a publication list
• an academic transcript of B.Sc. and M.Sc. education
• a TOEFL or IELTS score is generally requested to verify proficient mastering of the English language.

For more information please contact Dr. ir. A.B.J. Kokkeler via a.b.j.kokkeler@utwente.nl 

We offer an exciting temporary research position in a dynamic and international environment, combining the benefits of academic research with a topic of high industrial relevance. The University of Twente (UT) offers excellent working conditions, an exciting scientific environment, and a green and lively campus with lots of sports facilities and an international scientific community.

• You will be appointed on a fulltime PhD position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year.
• You will have a full status as an employee at the UT, including pension, health care benefits and good secondary conditions are part of our collective labour agreement CAO-NU for Dutch universities
• The salary will range from EUR 2.395,- (1st year) to EUR 3.061,- (4th year) per month, plus holiday allowance (8%) and end-of-year bonus (8.3%).
• We also offer excellent facilities for professional and personal development.

The University of Twente. We stand for life sciences and technology. High tech and human touch. Education and research that matter. New technology which leads change, innovation and progress in society. The University of Twente is the only campus university of the Netherlands; divided over five faculties we provide more than fifty educational programmes. We have a strong focus on personal development and talented researchers are given scope for carrying out groundbreaking research.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Because of our diversity values we do particularly support women to apply.

The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) comprises three disciplines that shape Information and Communication Technology. ICT is more than communication. In almost every product we use mathematics, electronics and computer technology and ICT now contributes to all of societies' activities. The faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. The research which enjoys a high profile both at home and internationally, has been accommodated in the multidisciplinary research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centra and Digital Society Institute.