PhD Research Fellow in Underwater Quantum Communication with Photons

We have a 3-year temporary PhD Research Fellow position available at the Technology Division of NORCE Research in Bergen, Norway.

The NORCE Technology division is headquartered in Bergen, with substantial activity also in Tromsø, Kristiansand, Grimstad, and Oslo. The division has approximately 120 scientific staff members, organized into 8 research groups. We develop technologies and solutions across a range of market areas, aiming to contribute to sustainable development.

We have a full-time cross-disciplinary PhD position available in the fields of Photonics, Quantum communication, and Underwater optics at the Technology Division of NORCE Research in Bergen, Norway.

The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years at the Bergen office of NORCE. You will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Institute of Physics and Technology (Faculty of Science and Technology and Natural Sciences) of our collaboration partner, the University of Bergen (UoB), Norway.

We are seeking a highly motivated candidate to strengthen the Technology Division, working at the forefront of wide range of disciplines including sensor technology modelling, communication systems, drones, modelling and data processing.

The position is available from 17.08.2026 and we expect that the candidate can start the position no later than 01.10.2026.

Secure communication is a fundamental requirement for modern digital infrastructure, with increasing importance in maritime operations, subsea infrastructure monitoring, and offshore energy systems. While quantum communication has demonstrated provably secure key exchange in optical fibre and free‑space terrestrial links, underwater environments remain largely unexplored. Optical wireless communication in the blue‑green spectral window offers high data rates, but underwater channels are highly complex, with absorption, scattering, turbulence, and background light significantly affecting signal propagation.

These effects pose major challenges for transmitting and detecting weak quantum signals reliably.

Reliable operation of quantum communication systems in underwater environments requires a detailed understanding of how channel conditions impact system performance. However, the interplay between physical channel effects, system design choices, and protocol performance is not yet well understood, and currently represents a key obstacle for practical deployment. In particular, it is challenging to quantify how attenuation, depolarization, alignment sensitivity, and noise influence key performance metrics such as quantum bit error rate and secure key rate.

The primary objective of this PhD project is to develop experimental and analytical tools for robust underwater quantum communication, enabling improved system design, performance characterization, and uncertainty quantification. The project will focus on establishing a flexible experimental platform for optical quantum communication in water, using weak coherent pulses and decoy‑state implementations as an initial framework, while enabling systematic investigation of channel effects and system limitations.

The position is primarily dedicated to experimental quantum photonics and system development, with emphasis on understanding and improving performance under realistic channel conditions. Research will include optical system design, experimental testing in controlled water environments, and development of data‑driven models linking channel properties to communication performance. The focus will be on improving system robustness, measurement reliability, and scalability, and may be adapted to the candidate’s interests within areas such as optical system design, signal processing, or quantum communication protocols.

The candidate will have the opportunity to participate in international conferences, collaborate across disciplines, and contribute to the development of next‑generation secure communication technologies for maritime and subsea applications. The candidate may also have the opportunity for a research stay with the Quantum team at the National Physical…