Postdoc in Multi-user Multi-access Optical Satellite Communications: Theory and Architectures (MOSC) Eindhoven University of Technology in Netherlands

This postdoctoral opening at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) focuses on the theory, architecture, and system-level design of future multi-user free-space optical (FSO) satellite communication systems. The project, titled Multi-user Multi-access Optical Satellite Communications: Theory and Architectures (MOSC), aims to move beyond today’s point-to-point laser links toward scalable point-to-multipoint architectures that can serve many users from a single satellite.

The research is centered in the ICT Lab of the Signal Processing Systems group in the Department of Electrical Engineering, working under the leadership of Prof. Alex Alvarado. The lab’s broader expertise includes information processing, coding, communications, multi-user information theory, security, machine learning, and fundamental limits. The postdoc will be part of a collaborative environment that also includes an applied research team at TNO, with potential involvement in a multi-user FSO laboratory and in-space demonstrator activities.

Scientifically, the position asks you to develop the theoretical foundations for multi-user MIMO free-space optical communication. You will define system requirements, channel models, and key performance indicators such as user capacity, data rate, coverage, latency, availability, power efficiency, complexity, and cost. The work will examine how optical power, bandwidth, and spatial resources can be shared across users through TDMA, FDMA, SDMA, and hybrid multiple-access strategies. A central goal is to identify the information-theoretic and communication-theoretic limits of these systems and compare candidate architectures through analytical frameworks.

The project also includes a state-of-the-art review of MIMO techniques for FSO links and the translation of relevant ideas from RF massive MIMO to optical satellite systems. The expected outcomes include architectural guidelines for scalable laser communication terminals that may support tens of simultaneous users, as well as high-impact journal publications on optical satellite communications and fundamental trade-offs in multi-user architectures.

This is a postdoctoral research position and is therefore intended for candidates with a strong background in communication theory, signal processing, optical or wireless communications, and related analytical methods. The post is especially relevant to researchers interested in satellite communications, free-space optics, information theory, and advanced multi-user system design.

Application deadline: 2026-11-29. Interested applicants should apply via the AcademicTransfer application link provided in the posting.