

TNO
About this position
Ultrasound imaging is a well-established technology to obtain 3D information of the interior of a human body. The scope of this internship is to enhance the sensitivity of ultrasound imaging systems, so that information can be obtained at lower noise, higher resolution or from deeper features. Ultrasound sensors based on Photonic Integrated Circuits have been demonstrated to enable 10-x sensitivity improvement. In this assignment you will explore silicon-nitride, polymer and lithium niobate as new material platforms for photonic ultrasound sensors, under de guidance of experts from TNO (Delft and Den Haag) and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
What will be your role?
The assignment starts with getting yourself familiar with the basics of photonic ultrasound sensors and their applications, building on available literature and on previous work by VU and TNO. You will then prepare designs for new sensors that can be fabricated in the technology available at the VU. You will work with physics simulation software (i.e. COMSOL) and photonic modelling and design software (i.e. Photon Design, Lumerical) targeting specific acoustic frequency and bandwidth. You will participate in the fabrication process at the VU under supervision of an expert.
The next step is to assess the optical performance of the fabricated devices at chip-level, and to analyse any discrepancies with expectations. If the performance is adequate, you will assist in integrating the sensor chips into modules with appropriate acoustic and optical interfaces, and establish the opto-acoustic performance in terms of frequency-dependent sensitivity and noise. Characterization will be mainly done at TNO in Delft (optical) and Den Haag (acoustic).
What we expect from you
The assignment is highly multi-disciplinary, involving in particular photonics, acoustics and micro-mechanics. We expect from you a broad interest, and the ability to include multiple disciplines in your work. Such a multi-disciplinary environment also requires good social skills, and a team spirit mentality. You will find that your team members are happy to help you where needed. The objective is to cover the entire chain from modelling-design-fabrication-test, and we expect that you have affinity with all these aspects.
Knowledge and skills that will be relevant, and which you should have or are willing to learn:
What you’ll get in return
You want an internship opportunity on the precursor of your career; an internship gives you an opportunity to take a good look at your prospective future employer. TNO goes a step further. It’s not just looking that interests us; you and your knowledge are essential to our innovation. That’s why we attach a great deal of value to your personal and professional development. You will, of course, be properly supervised during your work placement and be given the scope for you to get the best out of yourself. Furthermore, we provide: