Organisation/Company Fondazione Bruno Kessler Research Field Other Researcher Profile Other Profession Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 28 Aug 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Rome) Country Italy Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Nov 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
This PhD project aims to develop and characterize a new generation of Single-Electron Bipolar Avalanche Transistors (SEBATs): silicon devices capable of detecting extremely small currents by resolving individual electrons. The work will build on FBK’s world-class custom microfabrication platform for single-photon sensors, including SPADs and SiPMs, which exploit avalanche multiplication to achieve high photon-detection efficiency and sub-20 ps timing resolution.



Moving from single-photon to single-electron sensing opens a challenging and exciting frontier in semiconductor device physics, requiring dedicated device engineering, advanced electro-optical characterization, and a deep understanding of avalanche processes in silicon.
Unlike previous SEBAT demonstrations mainly based on CMOS technologies, this project will exploit the design freedom of FBK’s internal clean-room technologies to push device performance beyond the state of the art. Successful SEBATs could enable ultra-precise, Poisson-limited readout of weak current signals, with impact across THz detection, near-infrared sensing, and photoelectric readout of NV-center diamond qubits. The candidate will contribute to a highly innovative sensor technology with strong scientific and industrial potential.

📌 PhD Candidate (Italia)
🏢 Fondazione Bruno Kessler
📍 Italia