Research Fellow (Electronic & Electrical Engineering / Physics / Microelectronics)

Nanyang Technological University; Singapore; On-site; SGD 78,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) invites applications for a Research Fellow to conduct secure and reliable research on microchips used in quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. The role focuses on hardware-level security vulnerabilities and designing attack-resistant solutions.

Responsibilities include hardware security analysis of microchips (laser probing), developing testing environments, and collaborating with QKD, photonic design, and electronics teams to integrate security features

Qualifications

• PhD in Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Physics, Microelectronics, or related field.
• Hands-on hardware security evaluation and analysis experience.
• Ability to independently operate lab instruments (oscilloscopes, lasers).
• Proficiency with Python, MATLAB, or C++ for modeling and testing.
• Good written and oral communication, teamwork in multidisciplinary settings.

Responsibilities

• Conduct hardware security analysis of microchips and assess attack approaches.
• Investigate emerging attack techniques for hardware security evaluation.
• Build testing environments and perform physical security evaluations (laser probing, e-beam probing).
• Study protective mechanisms and integrate security features into QKD system architecture.

Skills

Hands-on hardware security evaluation

Operate lab instruments

Python

MATLAB

C++

Strong communication

Team collaboration

Education

PhD in Electrical/Electronic Engineering or Physics

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Lasers

Job description

National Integrated Centre for Evaluation (NiCE) @ NTU is a collaboration between Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and NTU. Strategically located in NTU to leverage on their knowledge, expertise and experience in software and hardware assurance, NiCE will be a one-stop facility for product testing, inspection and evaluation. In this opening, we are looking for a Research Fellow to conduct secure and reliable research on microchips used in quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. The researcher will focus on investigating and identifying potential hardware-level security vulnerabilities and exploring innovative, attack-resistant design solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct hardware security analysis of microchips, with a focus on potential attack approaches such as laser probing.
• Investigate and explore emerging, innovative attack techniques for hardware security evaluation.
• Build testing environments and perform rigorous physical security evaluations (e.g., laser probing, e-beam probing) to assess real-world security performance.
• Study potential protective mechanisms and collaborate closely with teams in QKD system design, photonic design, and electronics development to integrate security features into the overall QKD system architecture.

Job Requirements

• PhD degree in Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Physics, Microelectronics, or related field.
• Hands-on experience in hardware security evaluation and analysis.
• Ability to independently operate lab instruments (e.g., oscilloscopes, lasers) for security testing and data analysis.
• Proficiency with tools such as Python, MATLAB, or C++ for modeling, simulation, and automated test script development.
• Basic knowledge of mainstream QKD hardware is preferred.
• Good written and oral communication skills.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary environment.

Hiring Institution

NTU A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and Graduate colleges. It also has a medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, established jointly with Imperial College London. NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes - the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering - and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N). Ranked amongst the world's top universities by QS, NTU has also been named the world's top young university for the past seven years. The University's main campus is frequently listed among the Top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world and has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) buildings, of which 95% is certified Green Mark Platinum. Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a campus in Novena, Singapore's healthcare district. Under the NTU Smart Campus vision, the University harnesses the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources.

For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg