PhD Candidate in Hybrid integration of tunable lasers and electro-optical frequency combs

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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0

About the position

We are searching for a creative, skilled, and ambitious candidate for our activities on nonlinear and hybrid integrated photonics to carry out experimental research towards realizing hybrid integrated high power tunable lasers and electro-optical frequency combs.

The advancement of laser, optical amplifier, and advanced photonic integrated light source technology is a cornerstone for the application of optics and photonics in a manifold of research and technology fields ranging from optical fiber communications, metrology, environmental and medical sensing and imaging, and for applications in fundamental sciences such as laser spectroscopy. The hybrid integration of III-V gain media with low-loss photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has recently enabled integrated lasers with faster tuning and lower phase noise than the best legacy systems, including fiber lasers. In addition, lithium niobate and tantalate on insulator (LN(T)OI) PICs have enabled to exploit the Pockels effect to demonstrate self-injection locked hybrid lasers with tuning rates reaching peta-hertz per second[1]. However, Pockels-tunable laser archetypes relying on high-Q optical microresonators have thus far only achieved limited output powers, are difficult to operate and stabilize due to the dynamics of self-injection locking, and require many analog control parameters. A new generation of laser systems based on shallow optical gratings simplifies operation and increased performance of such lasers systems [2]. 

The objective of the project is the development of high-power hybrid integration concepts and thin film lithium niobate and lithium tantalate photonic integrated circuits to serve as photonic integrated pump lasers for traveling-wave nonlinear waveguide devices. Such lasers will need to reach continuous-wave output powers beyond 1 W for applications such as long-distance LiDAR and fiber sensing and in particular as pump lasers for nonlinear photonic devices such as optical parametric amplifiers and entangled photon pair light sources.

The candidate will report to the Head of the Nanoelectronics and Photonics group. The supervisor for this position is Associate Professor Johann Riemensberger. 
[1] Snigirev, V., Riedhauser, A., Lihachev, G., Churaev, M., Riemensberger, J., Wang, R. N., ... & Kippenberg, T. J. (2023). Ultrafast tunable lasers using lithium niobate integrated photonics. Nature (2023)
[2] Siddharth, A., Bianconi, S., Wang, R. N., Qiu, Z., Voloshin, A. S., Bereyhi, M. J., ... & Kippenberg, T. J. (2024). Ultrafast tunable photonic integrated Pockels extended-DBR laser.  Nature Photonics (2025)

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academ

Duties of the position

• Numerical simulations of nonlinear photonic waveguides and devices 
• Photonic design of hybrid integrated laser structures for manufacturing at NTNU or in collaboration with external foundries
• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Teaching 
• Other career-promoting work 
   

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in Photonics or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than 1.9.2026.
• You must have an strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme.
• Documented very good written and oral English language skills.
• Ability to work outside of Norway for short exchange periods.
   

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Broad experience with electromagnetic simulation software for both optical (PIC) and microwave (MMIC) applications (Lumerical, Comsol, Tidy3D, CST, HFSS, or similar).
• Strong experience with optical experimentation with photonic integrated circuits.
• Strong programming skills for experimental control and automation systems.
• Experience with standard nanofabrication processes.
• Ability to work outside of Norway for short exchange periods.
   

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: 

• Working in a quantitative, structured and independent way, keep track of goals and milestones
• Contribute to a positive and collaborative group atmosphere, be open to learn and teach
• Strong communication and presentation skills 
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
   

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

 

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. 

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. 

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. 

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,-per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work in addition to 4 months/year of career promotion work / teaching. For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Electronics within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in English.

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include: 

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees.
• CV.
• Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Project outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan (maximum 1500 words/ 3 pages).
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page).
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work.
• Possibly certificates.
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees.
   

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Johann Riemensberger (johann.riemensberger@ntnu.no).

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Solveig Grimstad (solveig.grimstad@ntnu.no)

Application deadline: 31.03.2026

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.