PhD in Dynamic Metasurfaces for Spacetime-Engineered Light, TU Eindhoven (MSCA SPARK Doctoral Network)

Job Description

This PhD position in metasurfaces and ultrafast photonics at Eindhoven University of Technology is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral post in the Photonic Integration group of the Department of Electrical Engineering, developing metasurfaces that rotate light through ultrafast modulation in time as well as space (reference 2026/564).

At a glance

• Position: PhD candidate, 1.0 FTE, in the SPARK MSCA Doctoral Network
• Where: Photonic Integration group, Department of Electrical Engineering, TU/e, Eindhoven
• Pay: €3,204 to €4,051 gross a month (scale P), plus 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% year-end bonus
• Duration: Four years, with an assessment after nine months
• Apply: 14 November 2026

What the metasurfaces and ultrafast photonics PhD involves

• Theoretical modelling and simulation of anisotropic metasurfaces with epsilon-near-zero (ENZ)-like behaviour
• Making dynamically modulated metasurface structures
• Measuring their ultrafast optical response, aiming to show synthetic spacetime rotation, generate spatiotemporal light fields and uncover nonreciprocal light-matter interactions
• A six-month secondment for theory at the University of Navarra (UPNA), Spain, with co-supervisor Prof. I. Liberal, and three months at UltraFast Innovations GmbH (UFI), Germany, for ultrafast characterisation
• Teaching duties of at least 10% of the four years, and at most 15% in any year

Why this role matters

Letting a structure change in time as well as space opens effects that static optics cannot produce, such as nonreciprocity without magnets and light fields shaped in space and time together. The field is young, and this PhD covers theory, fabrication and ultrafast experiment, split across three sites. That breadth is what a Marie Curie network is designed to give, and it suits a student who does not want to choose between modelling and the lab.

What TU/e is looking for

• A master’s degree in electrical engineering, optics, applied physics, materials engineering or a related field
• A research-oriented attitude and ability to work in an interdisciplinary team, with interest in collaborating with industrial partners
• Motivation to develop teaching skills and coach students
• Fluent spoken and written English at C1 level
• At the date of recruitment you must not already hold a doctoral degree
• The MSCA mobility rule: you must not have lived or carried out your main activity (work or study) in the Netherlands for more than 12 of the 36 months before the recruitment date, with the exceptions defined under MSCA rules

Pay and location

Scale P of the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities: €3,204 to €4,051 gross base salary a month, full time, plus an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus, the ABP pension scheme and TU/e’s support for international staff, including the Dutch expat tax scheme where it applies. The post is in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. SPARK is an EU-funded Horizon Europe MSCA project (number 101310184).

How to apply

Apply through the official TU/e page. The closing date is 14 November 2026. Apply through the online form only (TU/e will not process email or post applications) with a cover letter, a CV with research experience and publications, and contact details of three references. TU/e says it will keep the vacancy open until a suitable candidate is found, so apply early rather than waiting for 14 November. The hiring manager is Humeyra Caglayan. A knowledge-security pre-employment screening may be part of the procedure.

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