The Research Institute COBRA of the Eindhoven University of Technology invites applications from excellent candidates for PhD positions in the area of Photonics. Through a special grant from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), we can offer four PhD positions for excellent candidates who have the unique opportunity to propose their own research project.Photonics is a rapidly growing technology: optical communication,  LED-lighting, solar cells, displays, optical sensors and imaging are increasingly penetrating our world. Photonics is becoming one of the most important industries for the future. Just as the 20th century was the age of Electronics, the 21st century is set to be the age of Photonics. Key challenges addressed by the COBRA research  institute are transport of petabytes of information in communication networks and data centers, delivery of a wealth of services to the users, reduction of energy consumption and the ability for secure information transmission in order to cope with the imminent requirements for increased bandwidth, ubiquitous connectivity of smart products, and the need for a myriad of smart sensors in the forthcoming era of the Internet of Things.  The research within COBRA addresses the whole innovation funnel, ranging from fundamental knowledge on nanophotonics and physics, materials science, design technology and device fabrication to system integration. The research is highly multidisciplinary, joining research forces of the departments Electrical Engineering (EE) and Applied Physics (AP). The broad range of research is reflected in the focus areas of the participating groups: Photonics and Semiconductor Nanophysics (PSN) at the Department of Applied Physics has a leading international position in the area of Semiconductor Nanophysics, Nanophotonics and Nanowires. The photonics themes concentrate on the opto-electronic properties of III-V semiconductors, including novel nanostructured materials such as nanowires, and the all-optical manipulation and the detection of light in integrated photonic circuits, down to the single-photon level, also with the use of novel nano-opto(-electro)-mechanical structures.  Photonic Integration (PHI) at the Department of Electrical Engineering is playing a key role in the development of advanced photonic integration technology. It is leading a consortium in which Europe's key players in Photonic Integration have succeeded to provide Europe with a lead in this field. PHI research ranges from design of complex photonic ICs for a broad field of applications to fundamental long term research, such as development of ultrasmall nanolasers.

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