Doctoral student in Electrical Engineering – Distributed processing for wireless communications - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Subject description

Wireless communication is evolving rapidly and with 5G being deployed the race for 6G is in full motion. While the goal posts for 6G requirements are still moving,  we already know that more efficient, reliable, and secure wireless connections are needed. With this background we are exploring the limits of using the spatial dimension for improving wireless communication. Research is performed in a large team, where a group of doctoral students covering a broad range of topics form an important part.

The research area of the doctoral students deals with various aspects of Large Intelligent Surfaces (LIS), a recent concept that can be seen as a substantial scaling of the current massive MIMO technology integrated in the fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems. We will open three doctoral student positions in a LIS project, that deals with the entire concept, from hardware implementation aspects, via distributed processing strategies and machine learning, to support for entirely new services. At the core of the project is the design of a testbed for research on, and evaluation of, this new and exciting technology.

The students will perform their research in the Large Intelligent Surfaces – Architecture and Hardware project, funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, and cooperate inside Lund University as well as with our external project partners at Linköping University, Ericsson AB and Sony AB. The project research team has an excellent track-record and were instrumental in developing massive MIMO into its current corner-stone status in 5G, using a combination of theoretical and experimental research. The LuMaMi massive MIMO testbed, designed by the same team, was the first real-time massive MIMO testbed in the world and since 2016 the design holds the world record in spectral efficiency, 145.6 bit/sec/Hz.

Work duties

The PhD student recruited for this position will perform research on distributed algorithms for wireless communication. The PhD student is expected to contribute to the LIS testbed design and will, in the later stages of their research, use the testbed for experimental evaluations.

The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).

Admission requirements 

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in Electrical Engineering if the applicant has:

• at least 60 second-cycle credits in subjects of relevance to electrical engineering, or
• a MSc degree in biomedical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, engineering mathematics, Nano engineering, engineering physics or information and communications engineering.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Experience from, and interest in, development of digital processing algorithms for wireless communications.
• Good knowledge of wireless communication, particularly systems operating with many antennas, such as MIMO, massive MIMO, and LIS.

Assessment criteria

Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following:

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study.
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
3. Written and oral communication skills.
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Other assessment criteria:

• Courses, master's thesis, and experience in design of signal processing algorithms.
• Experience in the design and implementation of wireless systems.
• Experience from experimental research using test beds, or equivalent.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

Terms of employment 

Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 5 years (including 20% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).

You are also asked to answer the selection questions.