PhD in Free-Space Optical and Radio Communications for Tropospheric Future Networks (ANCHOR)

Job description

Are you passionate about working on next-generation wireless communications? We foresee a future where lasers light up the sky and provide seamless connectivity for space and tropospheric networks, together with radio communications. In this PhD research you will study fundamental limits in free-space optical (FSO) communications, turn ideas into experiments, and help shape future networks with a focus on high-throughput and photon-efficiency. Join the European doctoral network with extensive training programs, welcome at the Information and Communication Theory Lab at TU/e, and enjoy a secondment at the Instituto de Telecomunicações, Aveiro in Portugal.
Information
How can we use laser links to connect tropospheric nodes beyond the reach of optical fiber and overcoming the bandwidth limitations of radio? In this PhD, you will study the fundamentals of FSO wireless links for flexible networks on the ground, in the air and in space. The challenge is to combine the capacity of free-space optical communications with the complementary strengths of radio and fiber, creating links that are reliable, use the least amount of photons-per-bit, are adaptive to varying link conditions and approach fundamental limits. Your work will be part of ANCHOR, a European doctoral network exploring optical, THz and radio technologies for future communication networks, including 6G.
Your research will put free-space optical communications at the heart of hybrid FSO–RF–fiber links for terrestrial and airborne networks. You will move between theory, simulation and experiments: develop channel models that capture the essential impairments, explore how modulation, coding and low-level protocols can work together across these links, and design link architectures for experimental evaluation. The goal is to create ultra-high capacity links with high photon efficiency, as needed for tropospheric 6G NTN networks, future data centers in space and as a backup for the high-capacity fiber connections.
You will not be doing this alone. Through ANCHOR, you will join a research community spanning international partners from academia, research institutions and industry, with training that brings together theory and practical skills. You will be enrolled in the PhD program at TU/e, and your project includes a secondment at Instituto de Telecomunicações, Aveiro, Portugal. This is an opportunity to experience another research environment, exchange ideas with international collaborators and build your network beyond Eindhoven.
Throughout this PhD program you will be embedded in the ICT Lab of Signal Processing Systems group of the Department of Electrical Engineering at TU/e. Within the ICT Lab you will work within a dynamic team of approximately twenty researchers under the esteemed leadership of prof. Alex Alvarado and prof. Frans Willems (winner of the Shannon Award 2026). At the ICT Lab, we study information processing in a broad sense. We focus on finding fundamental limits, data processing techniques and architectures that aim at approaching these limits. Main areas of interest are free space optical communications, fiber communications, source coding, channel coding, (multi-user) information theory, security, and machine learning. You will have the opportunity to work with and in the extensive laboratory facilities of the TU/e’s Centre for Wireless Technology (CWTe) and you may use the 4.7 km FSO testbed in Eindhoven for high-throughput experiments. You will work closely with the second ANCHOR PhD at TU/e within the Quantum & Terahertz Systems (QTS) team in the Electro-Optical Communications (ECO) group.

Requirements

A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Electrical or Communications Engineering (or Applied Physics), with excellent grades.
A curious, research-oriented mindset and enthusiasm for exploring free-space optical communications through theory, simulation and experiments.
Previous experience in signal processing, communication systems channel modeling or similar as well as proficiency with relevant software packages.
Previous experience in optical wireless communications and FSO is not a hard requirement, but advantageous.
Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interest in collaborating with international and industrial partners.
Enthusiasm for international collaboration and spending time abroad, including a secondment at Aveiro, Portugal, Instituto de Telecomunicações.
The EU ‘Mobility rules’ apply. For this vacancy this means that candidate students cannot have resided for more than 12 months during the period of 3 years immediately before the start of the PhD in the Netherlands.
Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students.
Fluent in spoken and written English (at least C1 level).

Conditions of employment

Fixed-term contract
: 4 years.
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 assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment.
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
, scale P (min. € 3,204 - max. € 4,051 gross base salary per month (full-time)).
In addition to your base salary, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus, both calculated based on your annual gross base salary.
Generous leave options: a standard 29 days (based on a 38 hour working week) per year that you can increase to 41 days by working two hours more per week (flexible working hours). This is prorated if you work part-time.
As a TU/e employee, you participate in the ABP pension scheme, providing retirement pension and pension benefits for surviving dependents and occupational disability. TU/e pays 70% of the pension premium, while employees contribute the remaining 30%.
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, and on-campus children's day care.
Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus
TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
We support your wellbeing with free 24/7 access to OpenUp, providing you and your family with mental health support, expert guidance, and online training.
An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
A
Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the
Expat Scheme
) for international candidates.
On our website you can discover even more information about our

conditions of employment

. Build on your career at TU/e!

Employer
TU/e
We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community. Discover what
Light Up means to TU/e in our short company video
.
Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here
.
The European Doctoral Network ‘ANCHOR’ brings together leading academic, industry stakeholders, and SMEs to establish a structured doctoral training program addressing critical technical challenges and skill shortages for next-generation of communication networks. Traditional wireless networks, often reliant on single radio communication and inflexible architectures, will not be able to meet growing demands on bandwidth, reliability, energy efficiency, and sustainability, as well as extended coverage from underwater, terrestrial, and aerial network components. To overcome these limitations, ANCHOR leverages innovations in the untapped potential of THz and optical wavelengths alongside existing radio technologies. ANCHOR has meticulously designed fifteen doctoral projects that focus on cutting-edge innovations in optical, radio, and THz wireless communications and the harmonization of coexisting spectrums and networks. Through these efforts, ANCHOR will not only deepen fundamental theories but also provide practical, scalable solutions to improve 3D coverage, mobility, latency, network capacity, energy efficiency, and suitability for the future telecommunications infrastructure.

Additional information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager Yunus Gultekin ( y.c.g.gultekin@tue.nl
) or Wim Korevaar ( c.w.korevaar@tue.nl
).
Visit our website for more information about the

application process

. You can also contact HR Services ( hrservices.ee@tue.nl
).
Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please view the video
.
Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.
#EUfunded This is an EU funded project, named ANCHOR, with project number RT203508, within program HE / MSCA.