Investigador/a Phd Project PHYSICAL ACOUSTICS – CharPAL

LA SALLE - FUNITEC; España; On-site; EUR 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

La Salle Digital Engineering School – Universitat Ramon Llull in Barcelona, Spain offers a predoctoral fellowship (FPI) in physical acoustics. The project CharPAL investigates flat and curved parametric acoustic loudspeakers with advanced measurements, modelling and machine-learning aided classification.

The PhD will be jointly supervised and linked to a doctoral programme at Universitat Ramon Llull. The position includes an indicative gross annual salary and €7,000 funding for tuition fees and

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Acoustics or closely related field.
• Strong understanding of acoustics and wave propagation.
• Experience with acoustic measurements, signal processing and numerical modelling.
• Good English and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop experimental acoustic measurements and data analysis.
• Contribute to modelling and simulations of PAL configurations.
• Publish results and collaborate with interdisciplinary team.

Skills

Acoustics

Wave propagation

Acoustic measurements

Signal processing

Numerical modelling

MATLAB

Python

Inverse problems

English

Communication

Education

Master's degree in Acoustics or related field

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Organisation/Company LA SALLE - FUNITEC Research Field Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 1 Dec 2026 - 14:00 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Offer Starting Date 27 Oct 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Other EU programme Reference Number MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and FSE+. Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

1 PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP/ CONTRACT FPI IN PHYSICAL ACOUSTICS

La Salle Digital Engineering School – Universitat Ramon Llull (Barcelona, Spain) offers a predoctoral research position within the project Experimental and theoretical characterization of flat and curved parametric acoustic loudspeakers for acoustic engineering problems, in short, CharPAL, funded through the Spanish State Plan for Scientific and Technological Research and Innovation 2024–2027.

The position is associated with grant PID2025-175028NB-I00, funded by MICIU/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and FSE+.

Description of the PhD project:

Parametric acoustic loudspeakers (PALs) generate highly directional audible sound through the nonlinear propagation of ultrasonic waves. Their ability to produce spatially confined acoustic fields offers promising opportunities for acoustic engineering applications. However, their behavior in complex environments remains insufficiently understood, while accurate numerical simulations often require considerable computational resources.

The CharPAL project aims to advance the experimental characterization and theoretical modelling of flat and curved PAL configurations. Particular emphasis is placed on developing three-dimensional acoustic measurement techniques and computationally efficient predictive models, thereby overcoming some of the limitations that currently restrict the broader application of this technology.

The PhD research will combine advanced acoustic measurements, signal processing, inverse problem techniques and numerical modelling. Experimental investigations will involve robotic spatial scanning, particle-velocity measurements and near-field acoustic holography (NAH). On the theoretical side, the research will explore equivalent-source representations and semi-analytical models to predict the ultrasonic and audible sound fields generated by PALs.

The research will also contribute to the design, additive manufacturing and experimental validation of PAL prototypes, with particular attention to flat and curved geometries.

Beyond these fundamental developments, CharPAL will investigate two promising applications of PAL technology. The first concerns non-invasive acoustic characterization for heritage preservation, exploiting the ability of PALs to generate localized, approximately plane-wave excitation for measuring sound absorption and scattering coefficients without damaging fragile surfaces. The second focuses on automatic classification of packaging waste, using PAL-based acoustic impulse responses combined with machine-learning techniques to improve material identification and recycling efficiency.

The research will involve:

• Develop and apply robotic scanning methodologies for three-dimensional acoustic field measurements.
• Characterize acoustic pressure, particle velocity, intensity and impedance.
• Investigate the application of near-field acoustic holography to parametric acoustic loudspeakers.
• Theoretical and computational modelling
  • Develop equivalent-source representations and semi-analytical models for flat and curved PAL configurations.
  • Apply inverse problem techniques to identify virtual acoustic source distributions.
  • Investigate computationally efficient approaches for predicting ultrasonic and audible sound fields.
• Design and experimental validation
  • Participate in the design and additive manufacturing of PAL prototypes.
  • Perform acoustic measurements and analyse experimental data.
  • Compare experimental observations with theoretical and numerical predictions.
• Engineering applications
  • Explore non-invasive acoustic characterization techniques for heritage preservation.
  • Investigate PAL-based acoustic measurements for automatic classification of packaging waste, including machine-learning approaches.

Hosting institution and location

The position is based at Universitat Ramon Llull, in Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona is a dynamic Mediterranean city with a strong international research ecosystem and a rich cultural environment. Its universities and research centres offer opportunities for scientific collaboration, while its proximity to the sea, cultural heritage and cosmopolitan atmosphere make it an attractive destination for international PhD researchers.

Universitat Ramon Llull (URL) is a well-established private university in Barcelona, founded in 1990 as a federation of institutions with a long tradition in higher education.La Salle Digital Engineering School has played a pioneering role in Catalonia and Spain in engineering education and research related to acoustics, audio and vibrations.

The university provides advanced experimental facilities through the Acoustics Laboratory of the IASLab, including a fully anechoic room, a reverberation chamber, a professional recording studio and an immersive audio room.

The successful candidate will join the Research Line on Acoustics, Audio and Vibration within the interdisciplinary HER (Human-Environment Research) group, bringing together researchers from engineering, physics, mathematics, computer science and related disciplines.

The PhD thesis will be jointly supervised by Dr. Marc Arnela and Dr. Oriol Guasch, whose complementary expertise in experimental, theoretical and computational acoustics will provide interdisciplinary training in laboratory experimentation, signal processing, mathematical modelling and scientific computing.

The candidate will enroll in the doctoral programme in Information Technologies and their Application to Management, Architecture and Geophysics at Universitat Ramon Llull. The PhD degree will be awarded by Universitat Ramon Llull.

Candidate profile:

Weare looking for a motivated candidate with a strong interest in physical acoustics, experimental research and mathematical modelling.

The ideal candidate should have:

• A Master's degree in Acoustics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Aeronauticasl Engineering, Applied Mathematics or a closely related field.
• A solid understanding of fundamental acoustics and wave propagation.
• An interest in combining theoretical developments with experimental investigations.
• Experience or familiarity with acoustic measurements, signal processing, numerical modelling, scientific programming (e.g., MATLAB or Python) or inverse problems. Previous experience in these areas is considered an advantage.
• Good communication skills and fluency in English.
• Motivation to undertake independent scientific research and contribute to collaborative research activities.

Eligibility requirements:

Applicants must meet the academic requirements for admission to a doctoral programme, fulfilling one of the following conditions:

• Hold an official Spanish Bachelor's degree or equivalent and an official university Master's degree or equivalent, with a combined total of at least 300 ECTS credits.
• Hold qualifications obtained within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that certify Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework and grant access to doctoral studies in the country where they were issued.
• Hold qualifications obtained outside the EHEA that are verified by the university as equivalent in academic level to an official Spanish university Master's degree and grant access to doctoral studies in the country where they were issued.

Offer and working conditions:

• Position: Predoctoral research contract (FPI), funded under the Spanish State Plan for Scientific and Technological Research and Innovation 2024–2027.
• Duration: Maximum of 4 years.
• Indicative gross annual salary: €25,456.10, subject to changes in accordance with applicable regulations.
• Additional funding: €7,000 to cover PhD tuition fees and expenses associated with research stays at research centers.
• Research environment: Access to experimental acoustics facilities, computational resources and interdisciplinary supervision.
• Research development: Opportunities to contribute to scientific publications, international collaborations and research activities associated with the CharPAL project.

Recruitment procedure:

Applications will be evaluated by a selection board composed of two researchers.

The selection process will consist of an initial evaluation of the applications, followed by a face-to-face interview with the three highest-ranked candidates.

In accordance with the evaluation criteria established for the fellowship, applications will be assessed as follows:

Criterion 1 – Academic and scientific-technical track record (up to 50 points)

• Scientific and technical contributions: up to 45 points.
• Mobility and internationalization: up to 5 points.

Criterion 2 – Suitability for the proposed research activities (up to 50 points)

The suitability of the candidate's academic background, experience and research interests for the activities to be developed within the CharPAL project.

Requirements

Research Field Other Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• A Master's degree in Acoustics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Aeronauticasl Engineering, Applied Mathematics or a closely related field.
• A solid understanding of fundamental acoustics and wave propagation.
• An interest in combining theoretical developments with experimental investigations.
• Experience or familiarity with acoustic measurements, signal processing, numerical modelling, scientific programming (e.g., MATLAB or Python) or inverse problems. Previous experience in these areas is considered an advantage.
• Good communication skills and fluency in English.
• Motivation to undertake independent scientific research and contribute to collaborative research activities.

Specific Requirements

• Hold an official Spanish Bachelor's degree or equivalent and an official university Master's degree or equivalent, with a combined total of at least 300 ECTS credits.
• Hold qualifications obtained within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that certify Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework and grant access to doctoral studies in the country where they were issued.
• Hold qualifications obtained outside the EHEA that are verified by the university as equivalent in academic level to an official Spanish university Master's degree and grant access to doctoral studies in the country where they were issued.