PhD Position Direction of Arrival Estimation for Multi-chip Imaging Radar Sensors (DAEMIR)

Imaging radars are made of several chips with different characteristics. This program proposes a systematic study of the effect of these differences and techniques to mitigate them.

Job description

Imaging radars are made of several different chips and this introduce inter-chip temperature dependent amplitude and phase variations. Most of the literature deals with calibration of radars assuming a static known condition but these procedures cannot deal with inter-chip variation. This program proposes a systematic study of the limit this variation imposes on the performance of the sensors and techniques to mitigate them by antenna design, algorithm design and the use of information of other sensors available in the car.

Enabling L4-5 Autonomous Driving requires substantial improvement in radar sensor performance in the domain of angular resolution. This translates to the use of large virtual arrays, that are built from multiple modules and dies, each housing several front-ends. Variations among these dies – due to temperature differences, aging, and other factors– introduce time-dependent phase and amplitude errors that reduce angular dynamic range, limiting object separability within the same range-velocity bin. These errors are difficult to calibrate as they are time-variant and need to be reduced during the radar operation with the limited information available.

We would study how to mitigate the effects of inter-die phase and amplitude variation by:

• Designing antenna arrays that reduce the impact of amplitude and phase errors on the DoA estimation performance by means of the placement of the different elements.
• Designing algorithms that estimate and correct for amplitude and phase errors of the array with appropriate algorithms.
• Using information from other sensors – i.e. lidars- to establish a limited number of landmarks that can be used to simplify the calibration algorithm and/or improve the sensor performance.

Radar sensors must operate under tight power and size constraints, so any signal processing algorithm proposed during this program must strike a balance between robust performance and manageable computational complexity.

Milestone/deliverables:

Year 1: Antenna array design to minimize inter-die phase/amplitude errors.

Year 2: DOA calibration algorithms. Define the minimum theoretical error with a set of errors.

Year 3: Complexity reduction of the algorithms by using complementary sensors.

Year 4: Comparison against measurements and final report.

Job requirements

• An MSc degree in an engineering discipline relevant to the PhD research.
• Strong background in linear algebra, signal processing, detection an destimation, and optimization.
• Background in radar and wireless communications is desirable, but not mandatory.
• Experience in programming e.g., Python, MATLAB, R.
• Good verbal and written English skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in a collaborative environment.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) 

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. 

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration. 

Challenge. Change. Impact! 

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science 

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. 

Conditions of employment 
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2901 per month in the first year to € 3707 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. 

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.  

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.  

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Prof.dr.ir. Geert Leus, via G.J.T.Leus@tudelft.nl

Application procedure
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 17 August 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV.
• Motivational letter.
• A detailed list of BSc and MSc courses with grades.
• List of publications.
• Contact information of two references. 

You can address your application to Prof.dr.ir. Geert Leus.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements. 

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.