PhD Position Optimum DTX Switch Bank Design and Control for Digital Transmitters (DTX)

This PhD position focuses on optimum DTX switch bank design and control for Digital Transmitters (DTX) within the ERC Synergy Grant project DISRUPT. Wireless communication has made fantastic progress; however, a major concern is the exponential increase in energy consumption of next-generation 5G/6G networks using “massive Multi-Input/Multi-Output (mMIMO)” techniques. Without a breakthrough, these networks are expected to consume a significant portion of global electricity production by 2030. A key contributor is analog-oriented radio frequency (RF) transmitters (TX), which consume significant energy (even with minimal data traffic) to meet high-quality transmission requirements.

The DISRUPT project aims to realize revolutionary all-digital signal generation in the time domain using new materials, transistors, and design techniques. This approach targets RF transmission powers using only digital techniques and leverages the theoretical 3000x better RF switching performance of III-Nitride semiconductors compared to silicon.

Foreseen breakthroughs of the DISRUPT project are:

1. New material and transistor concepts for digital RF power generation.
2. Innovative CMOS controllers in combination with revolutionary (gate-)segmented LDMOS/GaN technologies, containing thousands of small RF-power transistors, that can be individually controlled with picosecond accuracy.
3. Broadband coherent signal generation using new waveforms.
4. New distributed RF-power signal generation and combining, enabling wideband and highly energy-efficient transmitters.
5. Seamless integration of serial high-speed digital data transport, clock recovery, signal processing (DSP), wideband low-power error detection using novel ADC architectures, and artificial intelligence-based error correction.

The DISRUPT approach targets unprecedented functionality, integration, and efficiency for wireless systems in terrestrial and satellite applications. If successful, the energy consumption of wireless networks is expected to be reduced by 50% compared to current technological development paths.

Project focus

This PhD project, in the DISRUPT framework, is focused on optimum DTX switch bank design and control for Digital Transmitters (DTX). It addresses the following scientific challenges and provides hardware solutions for:

• Switch banks with extreme resolution, not compromising system efficiency
• Novel activation schemes enabling super smooth/monotonic CWD-to-RF switch bank transfer functions
• Energy-efficient switch bank operation at high frequencies (e.g., midband)
• PVT resilience switch bank implementations/operation/calibration
• DSP innovations for optimum DTX switch bank control

Team and environment

You will be part of a leading team in wireless transmitters within the Electronic Research Laboratory (ELCA) of the Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands. Within ELCA, the team pioneers novel RF/wireless solutions at the device, circuit, and system levels. The daily supervision team consists of Dr. Morteza Alavi and Prof. Dr. Leo de Vreede (IEEE Fellow) from ELCA, complemented by DISRUPT partners at UCD and Fraunhofer IAF/IZM, as well as experts from the wireless industry. The group fosters an inspiring, friendly, and supportive environment with regular meetings, knowledge sharing, and support to help you evolve as a scientist.

Job requirements

In order to be successful in this project, you bring:

• MSc in Electrical Engineering
• Experience in IC design (Cadence)
• Knowledge of RF/wireless and RF design tools (ADS)
• Good programming skills in Matlab/Python/C/C++
• You are familiar with implementing a digital design flow
• Good oral and written skills in English
• Enjoys working in an international and interdisciplinary research group

To thrive as a PhD candidate in this project, it’s crucial that you are a team player and have a strong research mindset driven by curiosity and passion for your topic. The path involves challenges and uncertainties inherent to scientific exploration and requires dedication, adaptability, the ability to analyze/design complex problems, effective time management, innovation, and resilience under pressure. Combined with the ability and willingness to work independently and collaborate well, these qualities support a fulfilling PhD journey and help build you as an independent researcher, expand your professional network, and open diverse career paths inside or outside academia.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society.