Internship: Synchronized Holographic Control for Super-Resolution Imaging

Imec; Vlaams-Brabant; On-site; EUR 7,800 - 11,000; Full time

Job summary

Imec in Belgium is seeking a Master intern to contribute to the development of a synchronized, multi-SLM control system for programmable holography in super-resolution imaging. You will work with CGH, phase-only SLMs, and multiple lasers, under expert supervision, to drive practical software for optical experiments.

The role emphasizes ML-based hologram optimization, calibration, and validation, with hands-on software engineering at the interface of optics and computation, and opportunities to

Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in a relevant field (Applied Physics, CS, EE, Photonics).
• Strong Python programming skills; C++ or MATLAB experience is a plus.
• Interest in optics, holography, CGH, and SLMs for programmable photonics.

Responsibilities

• Develop software to load, sequence, and synchronously update multiple SLMs.
• Integrate ML-based hologram optimization into the experimental control software.
• Calibrate spatial alignment, magnification, and optical distortion of reconstructed holograms.
• Characterize reconstruction quality by evaluating imaging performance and limits in resolution.
• Document software, calibration procedures, and experimental results.

Skills

Python programming

C++

MATLAB

Education

Pursuing a degree in Applied Physics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Photonics

Job description

Internship: Synchronized Holographic Control for Super-Resolution Imaging

Help build the next generation of programmable super-resolution lithography.

Join our research team in developing a new class of programmable-mask super-resolution lithography systems. You will develop software and optical control strategies for the generation and synchronization of computer-generated holograms (CGH), enabling the fabrication of nanometer-scale 2D, 2.5D, and 3D structures beyond the diffraction limit and paving the way for next-generation lithography and optical manufacturing. This technology has potential applications in semiconductor manufacturing, integrated photonics, and bioprinting.

Project overview: You will work with an advanced programmable-mask optical platform for computer-generated holography (CGH) based on phase-only spatial light modulators (SLMs) and multiple laser sources.

Machine learning-based optimization is used to compute high-fidelity computer-generated holograms. The main engineering challenge is to calibrate and synchronize multiple SLMs while combining holograms generated by different laser wavelengths, maintaining precise spatial registration and deterministic timing throughout the imaging process.

Your role: You will contribute to the development of the free-space optical system, with a particular focus on the phase-only spatial light modulators (SLMs), including their alignment, calibration, and hologram evaluation. You will develop strategies for synchronizing multiple SLMs and design, implement, and validate the software that controls hologram generation. Working closely with researchers in optics and computational imaging, you will:

• Develop software to load, sequence, and synchronously update multiple SLMs.
• Integrate ML-based hologram optimization into the experimental control software.
• Calibrate the spatial alignment, relative magnification, and optical distortion of reconstructed holograms.
• Characterize reconstruction quality by evaluating imaging performance and identifying practical limits in resolution, accuracy, and throughput.
• Document the software, calibration procedures, and experimental results.

Your profile: You are pursuing a degree in Applied Physics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Photonics, or a related field.

• Strong programming skillsare essential. You should be comfortable developing scientific software in Python, with experience in C++ and/or MATLAB considered an advantage.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas is beneficial, but not required:
• Free-space optics, image processing, signal processing, or computational imaging.
• Fourier optics, computer-generated holography (CGH), or spatial light modulators (SLMs).
• Hardware interfaces, hardware triggering, or laboratory instrumentation.
• Numerical optimization and experimental characterization.

Above all, you are curious, enjoy solving practical engineering problems, and are motivated to work at the interface of software and experimental optics.

Expected outcomes: By the end of the internship, you will have developed a documented software framework for synchronized multi-SLM operation, together with validated calibration and timing procedures. Your final report will evaluate the system's imaging performance and recommend improvements to synchronization, reconstruction fidelity, and acquisition speed.

What you will gain: This internship offers hands-on experience in programmable photonics, computer-generated holography, synchronized instrumentation, and super-resolution imaging. You will work at the interface between software engineering and experimental optics, with direct responsibility for integrating numerical hologram optimization into a state-of-the-art optical platform.

Type of internship: Master internship

Duration: 3 to 5 months

Required educational background: Computer Science, Electrotechnics/Electrical Engineering, Physics

Supervising scientist(s): John Petersen ([e-mail]), Giammarco Nalin ([e-mail])

The reference code for this position is 2026-INT-292.

Imec allowance will be provided for students studying at a non-Belgian university.

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