2 Junior PhD Research Positions at INESC MN (MSCA Doctoral Network SPARK) INESC Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias in Portugal

INESC Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (INESC MN), based in Lisbon, Portugal, is offering two junior PhD research positions within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network project SPARK. The positions are part of a stimulating, multidisciplinary, and international European training network that includes funded research stays at partner universities and companies, specialized training in research and transferable skills, and participation in workshops and conferences.

Position 1 focuses on inverse-designed metasurfaces for ultrashort vector pulses. The project aims to develop topology-optimized metasurfaces capable of generating intense ultrashort vector pulses for applications in nonlinear optics and ultrafast nanomagnetism. The successful candidate will work on inverse-design algorithms for polarization optics under ultrafast excitation, large-area metasurface fabrication, and pulse synthesis. Research stays include UNamur in Belgium, INL in Portugal, and JCMwave in Germany.

Position 2 focuses on space-time beams for applications in optical communications and radiation generation. This project explores light springs carrying angular momentum, multidimensional spatiospectral correlations, and interactions with charged particles and nonlinear materials to realize tunable synchrotron-like radiation sources. Research stays include Nireos in Italy and Umeå University in Sweden.

Both positions are full-time, offered as uncertain-term employment contracts for 36 months starting in February 2027. The monthly remuneration is €2,518 before deductions, plus meal allowance, holiday and Christmas allowances, health insurance, and possible family allowance if eligible. The recruitment is open to candidates with a Master’s degree in physics, applied physics, optics or photonics, electrical engineering, materials science or engineering, or a closely related discipline. Applicants must not yet hold a PhD and must satisfy the MSCA mobility rule, meaning they must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Portugal for more than 12 months in the 36 months prior to recruitment. Strong English proficiency and experience in photonics, metasurfaces, lasers, ultrafast optics, inverse design, numerical methods for nanophotonics, or nanofabrication are required or strongly preferred.

Applications must be submitted by email to [email protected] with reference MSCA DN SPARK. The application package should include a detailed CV, motivation letter, copy of the official degree certificate, and contact details for one referee. For degrees earned outside Portugal, degree recognition by a Portuguese higher education institution is required before the PhD begins. The deadline is 14 November 2026 at 23:59 Lisbon time.