Color center based quantum sensing for biomedical sensing

Imec; Vlaams-Brabant; On-site; EUR 13,000 - 20,000; Full time

Job summary

imec in Belgium seeks a PhD internship to develop color center based quantum sensing for biomedical applications. The project focuses on fabricating diamond‑NV nanophotonic structures and integrating a diamond NV layer with silicon nitride photonics for biosensing.

Based in imec's cleanroom facilities, you will test devices with an integrated MW line and prepare for industrial-scale manufacturing. Supervising scientist Zainab Chowdhry will mentor; reference 2026-INT-250.

Qualifications

• Required educational background: bioscience engineering, electrotechnics/electrical engineering or physics.
• PhD internship pathway with supervision and project scope.
• Self-supporting students only.

Responsibilities

• Develop reliable fabrication techniques for diamond-NV nanophotonic structures used in biosensing.
• Integrate a diamond-NV layer on top of existing nanophotonic devices.
• Test performance using an integrated MW line and NV excitation-emission photonics.

Education

Bioscience Engineering

Electrotechnics/Electrical Engineering

Physics

Job description

Color center based quantum sensing for biomedical sensing

Nitrogen‑vacancy centres hosted in diamonds are emerging as a promising modality for biological sensing due to their photostability and sensitive, multi‑modal sensing capabilities. Although biological sensing in laboratory, optical bench‑style set‑ups have been repeatedly shown, outstanding challenges remain in transitioning to reproducible, commercial diamond‑NV biosensing products. This internship will focus on developing reliable fabrication techniques of diamond‑NV nanophotonic structures for use in biosensing.

Utilising their world‑leading cleanroom facilities, imec has already successfully constructed nanophotonic structures consisting of silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits on a silicon wafer substrate capable of exciting NV defects and collecting their fluorescence. During the internship, techniques developed at imec will be used to integrate a thin diamond‑NV layer on top of this nanophotonic device. These will be suitable for integration with industrial manufacturing to ensure commercial viability of the resulting device. Here, my own experience of quantum biosensing from my PhD will help inform the best properties of the device for successful biosensing. The optimization will be achieved by utilising an integrated MW line along with the integrated NV excitation‑emission photonics to experimentally test the performance of the device with different NV sensing protocols. The resulting integrated photonic device will provide a platform capable of quantum‑based biosensing.

Type of internship: PhD internship

Duration: 2 months

Required educational background: Bioscience Engineering, Electrotechnics/Electrical Engineering, Physics

Supervising scientist(s): Zainab Chowdhry ([e-mail])

The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-250. Mention this reference code in your application.

Only for self‑supporting students.