MSCA PhD vacancy INTELLASE

MSCA PhD vacancy INTELLASE (DC4) “Physics-based laser ablation modeling of dielectric materials”

KU Leuven seeks a highly motivated PhD candidate for a fully funded international doctoral position within the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks (MSCA-DN) project INTELLASE (Doctoral Network on Intelligent Laser Precision Manufacturing; Website: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101311673 ). KU Leuven (University of Leuven) has been a centre of learning for nearly six centuries since 1425, making it one of the oldest and most renowned universities in Europe. Today, it is Belgium’s highest ranked university (QS 2025 : 60), ranked among the top 4% universities in the world and consistently ranked in the top 10 most innovative universities in Europe. The university caters to over 60,000 students from more than 140 countries. KU Leuven's three doctoral schools provide internationally oriented PhD tracks for more than 4,000 doctoral students. KU Leuven and affiliated knowledge institutes provide fertile ground for innovation and high-tech entrepreneurship in the Leuven region. This favourable climate for knowledge-driven innovation makes the Leuven region an attractive location for many high-tech companies. This proposed PhD research will be carried out in the Laser Manufacturing Group at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of KU Leuven. KU Leuven website: www.kuleuven.be/english/kuleuven Laser Manufacturing Group LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ku-leuven-laser-micromanufacturing Laser Manufacturing Group website:

INTELLASE is an interdisciplinary European research and training network that will recruit 15 doctoral candidates to advance next-generation laser-based micro
- and nanomanufacturing. The project focuses on laser-material interaction physics, photonics engineering, advanced sensing, physics-based modelling, and AI-driven intelligent process control. Through collaboration among 20 academic, research, and industrial partners across eight countries, INTELLASE will equip doctoral candidates with the interdisciplinary expertise needed to develop intelligent, adaptive, and reliable laser manufacturing systems. In this context, DC4 PhD researcher will work at KU Leuven to develop multiphysics laser material interaction modeling of dielectric materials (e.g., glass). The aim of this topic is to use the modeling approach to predict the geometrical features and defects formed during laser processing. The global objective is to support better process design of micro/nanoprocessing of dielectrics used in several high-end applications in photonics, electronics and semiconductor industries. The doctoral candidate will:

• Establish predictive physics-based models linking laser processing conditions to feature geometry and defect formation in dielectric materials.
• Develop multiphysics simulation frameworks for laser material interaction at several process regimes (from nanosecond to femtosecond laser pulses).
• Validate the modeling framework for different geometrical features and materials using KU Leuven’s state-of-the-art laser micromachining facilities.
• Contribute to the development of a digital twin framework.

The research is supervised by Prof. Sylvie Castagne ( www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00114469 ), head of the Laser Manufacturing Group ( www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/research/Femto ).

Profile

Required profile of the PhD candidate

• You have a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing or Materials Engineering, Photonics, Physics or related field with strong interest in technology, and performed above average in comparison to your peers. You are not in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment.
• You are proficient in written and spoken English.
• During your studies or prior professional activities, you have gathered some experience related to the basic physical principles of laser material processing and/or to the fundamental principles of manufacturing and mechanical behaviour of materials or you have a profound interest in these topics.
• Ideally you have experience with either COMSOL, ANSYS or another CAE simulation software.
• You are highly precise and detail-oriented, consistently delivering accurate and thorough work.
• You demonstrate a strong sense of initiative and responsibility, while also being an effective and collaborative team player.
• You are willing to travel between the KU Leuven (BE), and other consortium partner locations. This includes secondments to CNRS (FR, 3 months), ModuleWorks (DE, 2 months) and University of Turku (FI, 3 months).

Eligibility requirements

Applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review the specific eligibility criteria, mobility rules and recruitment requirements before submitting your application. In accordance with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network regulations: