PhD position – Electromagnetic Compatibility & AI (all genders)

Silicon Austria Labs (SAL); Graz; On-site; EUR 51,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meal & transport subsidies

Family-friendly policies

Career development training

Job summary

Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) seeks a motivated PhD candidate to work on AI-assisted modelling and prediction of radiated electromagnetic emissions from power electronics converters. The project will be co-supervised by SAL and SDU, with the workplace in Graz, Austria.

The research combines power electronics, EMC, radiated emission measurements, electromagnetic simulation, and AI-based modelling to identify radiation mechanisms and support EMC-aware converter design.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent in a relevant field.
• Interest in AI-based modelling and EMC-aware design.

Responsibilities

• Develop AI/ML and physics-informed modelling methods for predicting radiated emissions.
• Work with power electronic converter models, electromagnetic simulations and measurement data.
• Analyse dominant radiation mechanisms in converter systems.
• Build and validate surrogate models for fast radiated emission estimation.
• Publish results.

Skills

Power electronics

EMC/EMI knowledge

Python

MATLAB

Interdisciplinary research

Education

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, Electromagnetics, Applied Physics or Computer Science

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Electromagnetic simulation tools

Job description

Silicon Austria Labs (SAL), in collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), is seeking a motivated PhD candidate to work on the AI-assisted modelling and prediction of radiated electromagnetic emissions from power electronics converters.

The PhD project will be co-supervised by SAL and SDU. The candidate will spend most of the project period at SAL in Austria, working closely with SAL researchers to develop power electronics use cases for industry. The candidate will also receive academic supervision and scientific guidance from SDU, nevertheless the workplace is Graz.

The PhD project combines the fields of power electronics, electromagnetic compatibility, radiated emission measurements, electromagnetic simulation, and AI-based modelling. The project aims to develop practical methods to help identify dominant radiation mechanisms, predict emission levels, and support EMC-aware converter design.

Your Future Tasks Include

Research topic

Possible Research Directions Include

• Physics-informed AI models for predicting radiated emissions.
• Data-driven surrogate models for fast electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) assessment of converter designs.
• Modelling of dominant radiation sources, current loops, switching nodes, cables, heat sinks and PCB structures.
• Use of simulation and measurement data for AI model training and validation.
• Development of practical workflows for the early-stage design of EMC-aware power electronics.

The project will not primarily focus on conducted emissions, but may consider source and coupling mechanisms where they influence the behaviour of radiated emissions.

Main Tasks

• Develop AI/ML and physics-informed modelling methods for predicting radiated emissions.
• Work with power electronic converter models, electromagnetic simulations and measurement data.
• Analyse dominant radiation mechanisms in converter systems.
• Build and validate surrogate models for fast radiated emission estimation.
• Compare AI-assisted methods with conventional EMC simulation and measurement approaches.
• Develop benchmark and validation cases based on realistic converter structures.
• Publish results.

Your Profile

• A Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, Electromagnetics, Applied Physics or Computer Science.
• Very good understanding of power electronics, EMI/EMC, electromagnetic fields and circuit/system modelling.
• Programming experience, preferably in Python, MATLAB or similar tools.
• Interest in machine learning, surrogate modelling, scientific machine learning, or physics-informed AI.
• Ability to work independently and in an interdisciplinary research environment

Experience with one or more of the following is advantageous:

• Radiated emission measurements or EMC testing
• Power converter modelling and high-frequency switching behaviour
• Electromagnetic simulation toolsNear-field scanning
• Machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
• Physics-informed neural networks or hybrid physics-AI modelling
• Signal processing and data analysis

Important Facts About SAL

• Diverse research activities with many technical challenges.
• State-of-the-art laboratory facilities and equipment.
• Location in the heart of Europe in Austria – relocation support for non-European nationalities.
• Internal and external training opportunities for career development.
• Family & children friendly - actively shaping the compatibility of family and career.
• “Vital4SAL” to promote a healthy workplace (e.g. SAL coaching pool, trainings on mental health, physical activities, healthy snacks, 24/7 accident insurance)
• € 4 per day meal allowance in restaurants or € 2 per working day in supermarkets.
• Public transport initiative (subsidy for the “Klimaticket”)
• Our values: Open door policy, flexibility in working hours, casual dress code, diverse teams, working with people of different nationalities, informal communication, lifelong learning, compatibility of family and career, sustainability, personal growth, and collective advancement.

This position is advertised in accordance with the collective agreement for employees in non-university research (Research CA). For this position, we offer a 3 years limited contract with the focus on pursuing the PhD. For this position, your monthly salary will be EUR 3.651, paid 14 times a year (based on an All-in contract).

About Us

Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) is a top research center for Electronics and Software Based Systems (ESBS). At three locations (Graz, Villach, Linz), SAL is conducting research along the entire ESBS value chain in the areas of sensor systems, power electronics, intelligent wireless systems, microsystems and embedded systems to develop future-oriented solutions for industrial production, health, energy, mobility, safety and more. SAL brings together key players from industry, science and research and thus valuable expertise and know-how and conducts cooperative, application-oriented research along the value chain. Cooperative projects are co-financed by SAL and enable a fast and unbureaucratic project start. SAL is thus shaping the high-tech location Austria and Europe and developing the future.

Innovation is our top priority and so are our employees. We are a family-friendly company and support the compatibility of work and family as much as possible. That is why we have been awarded the Work and Family Certificate until 2026. But we are constantly working on new measures to offer our employees an environment where they feel good, healthy and motivated.