General information
Organisation
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.
Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.
The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
Reference
2026-39594
Division description
CEA is a French major research organization providing solutions in four main areas: energy transition, digital transition, technologies for the medicine of the future, and defense and security, built on a foundation of fundamental research. For more than 75 years, the CEA has been committed to strengthening the scientific, technological, and industrial sovereignty of France and Europe, ensuring a better controlled and safer present and future.
Description de l'unité
Through its Technological Research Division (DRT), the CEA acts as an innovation accelerator serving industry, delivering concrete solutions to support the transitions we are undertaking: decarbonized energy, healthcare of the future, responsible digital technology, security, and defense.
The Laboratory for Sensor Autonomy and Integration (LAIC) at CEA-LETI primarily focuses on the development of sensor systems. The team’s activities lie at the interface between hardware (electronics, piezoelectric or optical excitation of M&NEMS), software (signal processing, artificial intelligence), and systems (electronic architecture, mechanics, mechatronics, packaging).
Position description
Category
Electronics components and equipments
Contract
Fixed-term contract
Job title
PhD MSCA - Acoustic and Ultrasound-based Predictive Maintenance Systems for Industrial Equipment
Socio-professional category
Executive
Contract duration (months)
36 months
Job description
Power converters are essential in numerous applications such as industry, photovoltaic systems, electric vehicles, and data centers. Their conventional maintenance is often based on fixed schedules, leading to premature replacement of components and significant electronic waste.
This PhD project aims to develop a novel non-invasive and low-cost ultrasound-based monitoring approach to assess the state of health and remaining useful life (RUL) of power converters deployed across various industries.
The research will focus on identifying and characterizing ultrasonic signatures emitted by aging electronic components, and on developing physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) to model their degradation mechanisms. The project will combine experimental studies with advanced signal processing and AI techniques (compressed sensing), aiming to detect early signs of failure and enable predictive maintenance strategies executed locally (edge deployment).
The research will be carried out within a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network, offering international training, interdisciplinary collaboration, and secondments at leading academic and industrial partners across Europe (Italy and Netherlands for this PhD offer).
More information : https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101227338
Applicant Profile
•Master’s degree (or equivalent) in signal processing, applied physics, electrical/electronic engineering, or data science with an interest in physical systems.
•Strong motivation for interdisciplinary research, solid foundation in power electronics and AI techniques.
•The candidate must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies) in France for more than 12 months in the past 3 years (MSCA’s mobility rule).
•Good command of English (written and spoken) mandatory.
Position location
Site
Grenoble
Job location
France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Isère (38)
Location
Grenoble
Candidate criteria
Languages
English (Fluent)
Recommended training
MSc. in signal processing, applied physics, power electronics or electrical engineering
Requester
Position start date
01/01/2026