Job Information
Organisation/Company: Institute for the Sciences of Light / Institut d’Optique Graduate School
Research Field: Engineering, Physics
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: PhD Positions
Application Deadline: 21 Sep 2026 - 12:00 (Europe/Paris)
Country: France
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Offer Starting Date: 1 Jan 2027
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe – COFUND
Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number: 101177177
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
The LIGHTinPARIS programme has launched its 3rd call for PhD Fellowships with up to 6 fully funded positions starting on 1 January 2027. The PhD projects on offer fall in the domain of the Institute for Sciences of Light (Université Paris-Saclay) covering photonics, optics, imaging, materials (chemistry), lasers, instrumentation, information, quantum technologies and more. The programme is cofunded by the European Union under Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) COFUND call and co-financed by Université Paris-Saclay and two non-academic partners IMAGINE OPTIC and ONERA.
This is an announcement for one of the 10 PhD projects on offer.
OSER: Optical SourcEs in silicon photonics: the Rare-earth approach (OSER) (See description on Web page and PDF)
The research proposal is focused on the investigation of a specific class of light sources exploiting rare earth materials directly integrated in hybrid optical silicon (nitride) waveguides for the realization of strongly miniaturized optical amplifiers and lasers on a chip. The approach to be developed is based on an ambition to push the miniaturisation of fibre optical amplifiers and lasers to the extreme with a view to their total integration in silicon photonics, which will lead to a dramatic reduction in the light/matter interaction lengths and an increase of at least three orders of magnitude in the effective doping levels of the materials. Previous works from the collaborators (Université Paris-Saclay/C2N and Aalto University/Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering) have demonstrated the possible integration of Erbium-doped Al2O3 layer stacks with integrated silicin nitride waveguides. This approach will be broadly extended to account for new possibilities.
Keywords
Information and Communication Technologies (optoelectronics, optical fibers…); Nanophotonics (plasmonics, metamaterials, 2D materials, surfaces and interfaces, optomechanics); Materials (inorganic, semiconductor, organic, liquid crystal, photochromics); Lasers
PI/Thesis Supervisor and team
Eric CASSAN at the Minaphot team in C2N LAB laboratory / Centre.
Every LIGHTinPARIS PhD project includes a “3i” dimension (interdisciplinary, intersectoral, or international collaboration) and all fellows will benefit from secondment opportunities for 2 to 12 months at the 3i partner lab under the supervision of the "3i" co-supervisor.
3i dimension(s) for project OSER: international 12 months at Aalto University
APPLICATION PROCESS
- Applications must be submitted electronically via the LIGHTinPARIS application portal.
- Deadline for applications: 21 September 2026 12:00 noon Paris time (UTC + 2)
- Deadline to start an application (registration on portal): 15 September 2026 12:00 noon Paris time (UTC + 2)
PRIOR TO STARTING AN APPLICATION
- Step 1. Verify and test your eligibility: https://lightinparis.eu/eligibility/
- Step 2. Find a PhD project of interest https://lightinparis.eu/thesis-subjects
Contact the thesis supervisor to discuss the research project and scientific background and experience needed to fulfill the PhD position.
YOU MAY THEN PROCEED TO,
- Step 3. Register on the application portal and receive link to application portal (you will complete an eligibility test first). You may prepare your application Offline.
- Step 4. Submit your application
Detailed information and instructions are provided in the official Guide for Applicants and on the programme website (lightinparis.eu).
EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS
- Contract: Full-time, 36-month fixed-term French doctoral employment contract. Employer: Université Paris-Saclay.
- Salary: Competitive gross monthly salary (before taxes) for a LIGHTinPARIS PhD fellow under French doctoral contract conditions is a minimum of 2400 € (see application guide for specific employers)
- Allowances: Monthly travel and mobility allowance (€200).
- Annual enrolment fees at the doctoral school (394 €) covered for 3 years.
Additional benefits and opportunities
- Opportunities for professional experience (such as teaching activities)
- Comprehensive training in research, innovation, and transferable skills
TIMELINE
- Call Open: Week 29 (2026) to Week 39 (2026). Publication of Call: 15 July 2026. Application portal open: 21-23 July 2026.
- Registration (to start an application) deadline: 15 September 2026 12:00 noon Paris time (UTC +2). No new applications can be registered after this date. Selected PhD project cannot be modified after this date
- Submission deadline: 21 September 2026 12:00 noon Paris time (UTC +2)
- Validation of application dossiers and evaluation by external experts: Week 39 - Week 42 (16/09/2026 - 13/10/2026)
- Online interviews: Week 44 - 45 (27 October - 6 November 2026)
- Notification of results: Week 46 (9 - 14 November 2026)
CONTACT & INFORMATION
- Administrative questions: For queries about the application process, eligibility, and all administrative questions, contact application-lightinparis.isl@institutoptique.fr.
- Scientific questions: contact the supervisor(s) listed for each project: https://lightinparis.eu/thesis-subjects
- Up-to-date information on the LIGHTinPARIS website: https://lightinparis.eu
Where to apply
Website: https://lightinparis.eu
Requirements
Research Field: Engineering, Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Research Field: Physics, Education Level: Master Degree or equivalent
Skills/Qualifications
PhD studies and research work require curiosity, creativity, rigour, teamwork, and organisational skills. A minimum B2 level of English is mandatory. Each PhD project has specific skills/qualifications listed - see last page of linked PDF file https://lightinparis.eu/thesis-subjects/.
Profile of PhD fellow for project OSER
- pre-requisite: Academic background should cover a deep knowledge of photonics and nonlinear optics. The applicant should be familiar with integrated waveguide design including the management of waveguide mode dispersion, field overlaps, perturbative approaches, etc.
- pre-requisite: He/she should also have skills to conduct lab experiments on nanophotonic optical setups, mastering the optical alignments on optical table assemblies, and being routinely able to post-process huge amounts of experimental data.
- pre-requisite: He/she should be familiar with optical mode solvers, frequency domain solvers (e.g. Field mode matching) and time domain Maxwell solvers (e.g. FDTD). He/she should be familiar with the design of GDS mask of photonic waveguide structures and photonic circuits.
- advantageous: Theoretical and / or experimental knowledge in semiconductor optics is welcome. Academic background should partially cover the field of material sciences
- advantageous: Previous experience in clean room fabrication processes is not fully mandatory but is clearly a differentiating positive point
Specific Requirements
Security Clearance
Recruitment in French science and technology research facilities is subject to security clearance as required by the Department of Strategy, Security and Defence. The attribution of a PhD fellowship is contingent on the candidate obtaining the necessary security clearance.
Languages: ENGLISH, Level: Good
Additional Information
Eligibility criteria
Candidates must:
- Hold, or complete the requirements, for a Master’s degree or equivalent qualification by the application deadline, 21 September 2026. Candidates cannot hold a PhD degree.
- Must not have resided or carried out their main activity in France for more than 12 months in the three years prior to the call deadline (MSCA mobility rule), i.e. between 22 September 2023 and 21 September 2026).
A good (B2) level of English is required; knowledge of French is not required.
Selection process
The selection includes an eligibility check, external evaluation by experts, and interviews (online) to assess the candidates’ scientific potential, motivation, and fit with the proposed research project.
- Shortlisted candidates will be invited for online interviews.
Website for additional job details: https://lightinparis.eu
Work Location(s)
Number of offers available: 4
Company/Institute: C2N - Université Paris-Saclay
Country: France
State/Province: Ile de France
City: Orsay
Postal Code: 91405
Street: 15, rue Georges Clemenceau
Contact
City: Palaiseau
Website: https://lightinparis.eu
Street: 2 avenue Augustin Fresnel
Postal Code: 91127
E-Mail: application-lightinparis.isl@institutoptique.fr
