PhD in Computational Ultra‑Wide‑Angle Holographic Display Systems

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 Electronics and Informatics, Research Group Electronics and Informatics: Research – Development - Innovation is looking for a PhD-student with a doctoral grant. 

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

Shape the future of immersive visual technologies through optical, computational, and machine‑learning innovation.

We are a university research group at imec-VUB in Brussels, with expertise in optical imaging systems and signal processing and the Department of Electronics and Informatics (ETRO), an imec research group at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), has an open research position for a talented and motivated researcher. 

Project 

We invite applications for a full-time PhD position in the rapidly evolving field of computational holography and advanced photonic display systems. The project aims at redefining what is technologically possible in holographic visualization, pushing beyond today’s limitations in field of view, resolution, and visual realism.

This PhD position is funded by larger, 4-year WEAVE project funded by Research Foundation Flanders – Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen (FWO) and the National Science Centre Poland - Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN). It involves researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel/imec and Warsaw University of Technology, under supervision of Prof. Peter Schelkens and Prof. David Blinder, and respectivily. Prof. Tomasz Kozacki.

Traditional 3D displays are constrained by optical inconsistencies such as the vergence‑accommodation conflict, which leads to visual discomfort and restricts long-term use. Holography resolves this limitation by reproducing the full wavefront of light, enabling natural depth cues and fatigue-free viewing. However, moving from classical holography to ultra-wide-angle, ultra-high-resolution holography presents significant challenges. These include enormous data bandwidths, sophisticated optical control, advanced rendering pipelines, and new algorithms that can tightly integrate physical hardware, sensors, and computational models.

This PhD position is centered on addressing these challenges through innovative computational methods, combining optical system design, signal processing, machine learning, and optimization. You will contribute to the development of new solutions for hologram recording, generation, quality assessment, and real-time rendering.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated researcher who wants to contribute to a transformative technology area at the intersection of physics, computation, and human perception. You will join a dynamic multidisciplinary international team working on algorithmic, computational, and physical-layer solutions for emerging holographic systems. The results of this project have the potential to shape future consumer, industrial, medical, and scientific visualization systems.

Research themes:

The PhD student will contribute to several of the following topics:

• Computer-generated holography (CGH);
• Optical system analysis and simulation;
• Developing AI/ML algorithms; 
• Perceptual and objective visual quality assessment for holograms.

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 Photonics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or Computer Science.

• You have a solid understanding of optical wave propagation, Fourier optics, or computational imaging;
• You have strong skills in digital signal processing (DSP), including familiarity with machine learning or deep learning;
• You have proficiency in scientific programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB, C/C++, or similar).

• 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 01/05/2026. 

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

In addition, we provide :

• a fully funded PhD position within a high-impact research project;
• access to state-of-the-art optical laboratories and computational resources;
• supervision and mentorship by experts in optics, computational imaging, and AI;
• opportunities to collaborate with international academic and industrial partners;
• support for conference participation, scientific training, and career development.

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 16/03/2026, 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 Peter Schelkens at peter.schelkens@vub.be or on +32 2 629 16 81.

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.