Postdoc position on Material learning with dopant network processing units

This position is part of the Horizon Europe Pathfinder project HYBRAIN. HYBRAIN’s vision is to realize a radically new technology for ultra-fast and energy-efficient edge AI inference based on a world-first, unique, brain-inspired hybrid architecture of integrated photonics and unconventional electronics with collocated memory and processing. As the most stringent latency bottleneck in CNNs arises from the initial convolution layers, we will take advantage of the ultrahigh throughput and low latency of photonic convolutional processors (PCPs). Their output is processed using cascaded analogue electronic linear and novel nonlinear classifier layers.

In 2020 we introduced the concept of dopant network processing units (DNPUs, Nature 577, 341-345 (2020)). In this postdoc project, you will work on the development of efficient machine-learning procedures to be applied to DNPU networks in combination with photonic and analogue electronic hardware. We will move to larger multi-DNPU networks and investigate the training performance of various conventional gradient descent methods for multi-DNPU networks in simulation first.

Requirements:

• You are a highly motivated and enthusiastic researcher;
• You have a PhD degree in the field of semiconductor physics, electrical engineering or similar with an affection for machine learning;
• You are an independent and original thinker with a creative mindset;
• You are a fast thinker with excellent analytical and communication skills;
• You have good team spirit and like to work in an internationally oriented environment;
• You are experienced with Python and Pytorch;
• You are fluent in English.

Salary Benefits:

• You will be appointed for a period of a maximum of 2 years full-time within a very stimulating scientific environment. The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues.
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU);
• Gross salary between € 4.060,- and € 5.331,- per month depending on experience and qualifications;
• Excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, a year-end bonus of 8.3% and a solid pension scheme;
• 41 leave days per year based on a fulltime employment;
• Excellent support for research and facilities for professional and personal development.
• We encourage a high degree of responsibility and independence while collaborating with close colleagues, researchers and other university staff.
• We are also a family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid) and career support for partners.

40 hours per week

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