PhD scholarship in Powering the Future: High-Efficiency Converters for Next-Gen HPC – DTU Electro

We warmly welcome dedicated researchers who are fueled by ambition and a zeal to join us in forging new frontiers in power electronics. An exciting opportunity awaits you at the Electronics group at DTU Electro. We are offering a 3-year fully funded PhD position, supported by the esteemed ERC Consolidator grant from the European Research Council. 

The primary challenge in powering AI processors and future HPC system is enhancing the efficiency of voltage regulator modules (VRMs) to meet their substantial power demands, driven by the processing of vast amounts of data.  As part of the ERC project H3PMAG, this project aims to address key challenges in the direct conversion of 400 V to 1 V PoL converters, focusing on efficiency, power density, and dynamic response. The research will concentrate on creating novel circuit topologies, optimizing magnetic components and revolutionizing their integration and packaging solutions.

Responsibilities and qualifications
As a valued member of our team, your insights and expertise will be pivotal in navigating the challenges of power solutions for future HPC system, focusing on enhancing their efficiency, reducing size, and improving thermal management for data center power applications. Your primary tasks will include:

• Exploring innovative high step-down ratio circuit topologies as well as suitable power architectures.
• Designing circuit schematics and creating novel magnetic integrations.
• Conducting circuit simulations (LTspice or PSIM) and FEM simulations (ANSYS Maxwell) to determine optimal circuit parameters.
• Selecting and designing suitable semiconductors, gate drivers and controllers.
• Developing packaging solutions for magnetic components and power converters.
• Prototyping and testing in the lab.

Any candidate who:

• has a good grasp of various power circuit topologies for AC-DC and DC-DC;
• has good experience in magnetic components design, optimization and integration;
• is familiar with power semiconductor devices selection and characterization or power packaging;
• has good experience in PCB schematic and layout;
• is familiar with one or some of the following simulation tools such as MATLAB & Simulink, PLECS, LTSpice, Ansys (Maxwell, Q3D), Altium, and Orcad;
• is familiar with embedding programming;
• has good experience in making laboratory prototypes, debugging, and testing power electronic circuits;
• is target-oriented, structured thinking, eager to learn new things, and ready to think outside the box;
• can communicate in English at a good level;

will be considered as a candidate with favorable background. A candidate with high self-motivation and enthusiasm, and who can work under great tension would be preferred.

As a formal qualification, you must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Approval and Enrolment 
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education . 

Assessment
The assessment of the applicants will be made by Associate Professor Ziwei Ouyang at DTU.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. 

The period of employment is 3 years. The position is a full-time position. The expected starting date is 1 August 2025.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here http://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/working-at-dtu/career-paths.

Further information 
Further information may be obtained from Associate Professor Ziwei Ouyang, [email protected] .

You can read more about DTU Electro at www.electro.dtu.dk.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU. 

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 3 April 2025 (23:59 Danish time) . Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae 
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• Documentation of personal power electronics laboratory experience 

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it. 

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Electro has 300 employees with competencies in electrical and photonics engineering. As one of Europe’s largest public research departments, DTU Electro covers a multitude of research disciplines within nanophotonics, lasers, quantum photonics, optical sensors, LEDs, photovoltaics, ultra-high speed optical transmission systems, bio-photonics, acoustics, power electronics, robotics, and autonomous systems.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.