PhD Photonics Engineering

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located. 

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again. 

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

The Faculty of Engineering, Department Toegepaste natuurkunde en fotonica, Research Group Brussels Photonics is looking for a PhD-student with a doctoral grant. 

More concretely your work package, for the preparation of a doctorate, contains: 

Brussels Photonics (B-PHOT) at the Faculty of Engineering of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is looking for a full-time doctoral fellow to conduct research on end-to-end incoherent holographic imaging. The research will be carried out in close collaboration with the ETRO research group at VUB and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) in Japan.

Conventional cameras mainly record two-dimensional intensity images and therefore lose a significant part of a scene’s three-dimensional information. Holographic imaging can capture both amplitude and phase information, but traditionally requires highly coherent light and controlled laboratory conditions. Recent developments in incoherent holography make it possible to capture holographic information using natural and spatially incoherent light sources. However, the image quality of such systems is still limited by inaccurate models of incoherent light propagation and by the complex reconstruction of the underlying three-dimensional scene.

Within this PhD project, you will develop an end-to-end incoherent holographic imaging system. You will investigate models for the propagation of incoherent light and use these models for the joint optimisation of the optics and computational imaging. You will also contribute to the development and prototyping of the camera optics and hardware, with the aim of recording high-quality holograms under natural lighting conditions.

You are motivated to conduct scientific research and complete a PhD within four years. You will work closely with researchers at B-PHOT and ETRO and with international partners, present your results at international conferences, and build an international network in optics, holography and computational imaging. You will publish your research results in international peer-reviewed scientific journals.

The position also includes, to a limited extent, coordinating and supervising exercises, practical sessions and projects (WPO) for courses offered by the B-PHOT department. The specific assignment will be determined annually in consultation with you and your colleagues.

You will also contribute to activities promoting the programmes offered by the department, for example by attending VUB Information Days and SID-IN events, and may support the department’s day-to-day governance by participating in councils and/or committees. You can work both independently and as part of a team. You are open-minded, communicative and collegial towards your co-workers. You actively contribute to the department’s general operation and practical organisation. You will join a team that places a strong emphasis on collaboration, knowledge sharing and effective onboarding.

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base. 

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

• You hold a Master’s degree in Engineering Sciences (Photonics, Electronics and Information Technology) or Physics, or a degree recognised as equivalent by the competent university authorities.

• You are fluent in English.
• You have a strong interest in conducting groundbreaking research in applied physics and photonics and the ambition to obtain a PhD in this field.
• You are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and insights with students at Master’s level.
• Expertise in optical design and machine learning is a strong asset for this PhD position.

• You have not performed any works in the execution of a mandate as an assistant, paid from operating resources, over a total (cumulated) period of more than 12 months.

• As a (non-)EEA national, meet the conditions for obtaining a valid permit for VUB and comply with the VUB residence requirements. More info here.

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You’ll be offered a full-time PhD-scholarship, for 12 months (extendable up to max. 48 months, on condition of the positive evaluation of the PhD activities), with planned starting date 01/11/2026. 

You’ll receive a grant linked to one of the scales set by the government.

IMPORTANT: The effective result of the doctorate scholarship is subject to the condition precedent of your enrolment as a doctorate student at the university.

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Then apply, at the latest on 30/09/2026, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your CV;
• your motivation letter;
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Our application process is as follows (subject to change):

• step 1: an initial selection based on your application file; 
• step 2: a job interview.

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Prof. Yunfeng Nie at Yunfeng.Nie@vub.be or on +32 2 629 35 70.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.