Postdoc Digital Transmitter (DTX) System Integration

Job description

Wireless communication has made fantastic progress. However, the biggest concern is the exponential increase in energy consumption of next-generation 5G/6G networks that use "massive Multi-Input/Multi-Output (mMIMO)" techniques. Without a breakthrough, these networks are expected to consume a significant portion of global electricity production by 2030. The main culprits are analog-oriented radio frequency (RF) transmitters (TX), which consume significant energy (even with minimal data traffic) to meet the high-quality requirements of the transmission signal.

This Postdoc position is part of the” ERC Synergy Grant” awarded project “DISRUPT”, which aims to realize a revolutionary all-digital signal generation in the time domain using new materials, transistors, and design techniques. This approach will, for the first time, deliver the required RF transmission powers using only digital techniques and will be the first to benefit from the theoretical 3000x better RF switching performance of III-Nitride semiconductors compared to silicon.

Foreseen breakthroughs of the DISRUPT project are:

1) New material and transistor concepts for digital RF power generation. 2) Innovative CMOS controllers in combination with revolutionary (gate-)segmented LDMOS/GaN technologies, containing thousands of small RF-power transistors, that can be individually controlled with picosecond accuracy. 3) Broadband coherent signal generation using new waveforms. 4) New distributed RF-power signal generation and combining, enabling wideband and highly energy-efficient transmitters. 5) Seamless integration of serial high-speed digital data transport, clock recovery, signal processing (DSP), wideband low-power error detection using novel ADC architectures, and artificial intelligence-based error correction.

The unique DISRUPT approach offers unprecedented functionality, integration, and efficiency for wireless systems in terrestrial and satellite applications. When DISRUPT is successful, the energy consumption of wireless networks is expected to be reduced by 50% compared to following current technological development paths. This Post Doc position (PD.A), in the DISRUPT framework, is focused on Digital transmitter (DTX) System Integration.

You will coordinate with the PIs on the overall integration of the various DTX demonstrators. As such, you:

• Coordinate/plan the sub-block definitions in terms of: naming, pin numbering, dimensions, top-level description
• Coordinate the simulation-based verification of the sub-block in the context of the overall system.
• Coordinate the DTX top-level with its IO configuration
• Defines together with the PhDs the various supply domains with their decoupling strategies
• Coordinates the testing of the DTX demonstrators.

You will be part of a leading team in wireless transmitters within the Electronic Research Laboratory (ELCA) of the Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands. Within ELCA we share a drive to pioneer novel RF/wireless solutions at the device, circuit, and system levels. The daily supervision team consists of Dr. Morteza Alavi and Prof. Dr. Leo de Vreede (IEEE Fellow) from ELCA, complemented by our esteemed DISRUPT partners at UCD and Fraunhofer IAF/IZM, as well as various experts from the wireless industry. Fostering an inspiring, friendly, and supportive environment, we meet regularly, educate you on solving complex problems, share ideas and knowledge, team up, and provide the support you need to evolve as a scientist.

Curious to learn more about this Postdoc position and DISRUPT? Please visit our website, where you’ll also find the other exciting PhD descriptions/opportunities related to DISRUPT.

Job requirements
To be successful in this project, you have:

• Completed a PhD. In RFIC design
• Have 5 years of experience or more in IC design
• You are familiar with Cadence and ADS
• Have experience in RF/wireless
• Good programming skills in Matlab/Python/C/C++
• You are familiar with the digital Design flow.
• You are familiar with RF equipment
• Good oral and written skills in English
• Enjoys working in an international and interdisciplinary research group

To thrive in this project as the coordinating PD, it’s crucial that you are a team player and enjoy training/helping PhD students to tackle technical/scientific challenges and make them grow on the job. You take responsibility (together with the PIs) for the realization and coordination of the DISRUPT project demonstrators with all their facets. You clearly communicate, coordinate, check, and give directions where needed. You have a research mindset, are curiosity-driven, open to evaluating new ideas, and are passionate about achieving the DISRUPT goals. Doing so, you will change how wireless communication is done in the future. Your gained experiences and your newly built extensive professional network will create a wealth of great opportunities for you, inside or outside academia.

TU Delft (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 as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 4 years Temporary
• A job of 36-40 hours per week.
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
• Flexible working week.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands. .

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Beatrice Piovan, via B.Piovan@tudelft.nl.

#EUfunded This is an EU-funded Horizon ERC Synergy Grant, call reference ERC-2025-SyG, acronym DISRUPT, Proposal No. 101224664

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 30 April 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV including your educational and research background, Professional skills and List of publications
• Motivational letter
• Copies of your BSc, MSc and PhD degrees and transcripts

You can address your application to Beatrice Piovan.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
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