PhD in communication systems with fiber-optic applications

Information about the research environment

The department offers a position as PhD student with the Communication Systems Group. Our research is focused on theory and algorithms for digital communication systems. We study systems such as next generation wireless cellular communication systems, vehicular communication to enable traffic safety applications, fiber-optic communication systems, and hardware-constrained communications. Our research is diverse in nature and includes fundamental and application-driven as well as disciplinary and multidisciplinary projects. We are heavily involved in the Master’s program in Communication Engineering. The group is the largest in Sweden in its field and employs about 35 persons. We offer an intellectually stimulating, international research environment with many opportunities for collaboration around the world.

The research in this project will be conducted within the Fiber-Optic Communications Research Center (FORCE) at Chalmers. FORCE is an unprecedented endeavor in Swedish research, where technologies and algorithms for future optical communications are developed based on a cross-disciplinary approach, incorporating not only photonics but digital communications, information theory, and electronics. FORCE performs state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical research in the photonics and communications fields, supported by Sweden’s major research sponsors: VR, SSF, and Wallenberg.

Chalmers University of Technology is located in Gothenburg on the scenic west coast of Sweden. It is among the top research schools in Europe. English is the working language and candidates of any nationality are welcome to apply.

Major responsibilities
Your major responsibilities as a PhD student is to pursue your own doctoral studies. You are expected to develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research in articles, at conferences, and internally at Chalmers. In addition to the research responsibilities, the position includes teaching or other departmental duties corresponding to at most 20 percent of full time working hours.

Position summary
Optical fiber networks are indispensable for our society’s information infrastructure. The demands for high-capacity, reliable communications will continue to increase for many years, due to emerging services such as cloud processing and telepresence. This project addresses one of the fundamental bottlenecks in the development of next-generation optical networks, namely interference.

Interference occurs between copropagating signals on different wavelengths, or between time-multiplexed signals on the same wavelength. This interference, caused by both linear and nonlinear effects, is essentially deterministic and has been accurately modeled. However, the receivers in today’s optical networks treat this interference simply as random noise. In this project, we will challenge this design paradigm and propose a new network design paradigm based on multiuser information theory. 

The position is a full-time temporary employment, limited to a maximum of four years, plus teaching and other departmental duties. A monthly salary is paid. There are no tuition fees for PhD studies at Chalmers.

Qualifications

To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field. 

A suitable background for this position is a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, or similar, with specialization in digital communications and high grades in the core courses. Experience in optical communications is not required, but you should have an interest in applying your skills to optical systems. An interest in interdisciplinary communication with researchers from other fields is essential, as are skills in mathematical analysis, particularly in information theory, probability theory, and optimization. Furthermore, you should be fluent in English, have good collaborative skills, and have good abilities to communicate your results in writing and in presentations. Having teaching qualifications is an advantage.

Application deadline: 2014-01-31

Contacts

Professor Erik Agrell, agrell@chalmers.se
Associate Professor Giuseppe Durisi, durisi@chalmers.se
PhD student Naga V. Irukulapati, vnaga@chalmers.se



Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.



Keywords: Applied mathematics, channel capacity, channel coding, communication networks, communication systems, detection and estimation, digital communications, elastic optical networks, fiber-optical communications, modulation, multiuser information theory, nonlinear interference, open position, optical fiber, optimization, Ph.D. student, Shannon limit, signal processing, telecommunications.