The world is undergoing a fourth industrial revolution. Digital data is the new capital, and the internet has become a resource every bit as precious as water or electricity. This master’s programme will train you to become a technology innovator, developing and innovating concepts to form the core of the next generation of cell phones, antennas, quantum computers, sensors, robots, communication systems and satellites.
The programme does not aim to provide you with all the answers — rather, to help you ask the right questions. You will graduate as an expert in wireless and photonics technologies and find yourself in high demand in areas including the aerospace, medical and automotive industries.
Wireless, photonics and space engineering master's programme at Chalmers
Emerging infrastructure like data centres and new applications such as industrial automation and autonomous driving will require unprecedented investments in photonics and wireless technology. The space industry is likewise transforming, with increasing private businesses and offering new and ubiquitous satellite constellation services for global communications, navigation, Earth observation and space science.
The master’s programme in Wireless, photonics and space engineering at Chalmers will prepare you to meet these future challenges by giving you the basic knowledge of photonic and microwave devices, and how these components work at the system level.
Wireless, photonics and space engineering students at ChalmersYou will be offered a unique opportunity to learn about applied electromagnetics by studying a combination of subjects for which Chalmers has world-class facilities. The Onsala space observatory has radio telescopes and instruments to study the earth and the universe. The Nanofabrication laboratory is one of the best-equipped university cleanrooms in Europe for research and fabrication of advanced semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. The research laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art photonics and microwave measurement equipment including the Kollberg Laboratory.
The lectures are given by world-leading researchers and industry professionals, They bring advanced and contemporary knowledge to the lectures they teach. The programme offers a diverse range of learning activities: lectures, tutorial exercises, home assignments, projects, teamwork activities and practical laboratory work. Furthermore, the focus in each of these learning activities is on understanding the concepts and their implications.
Topics covered
The programme encompasses technology and fundamentals of electromagnetic components and systems. The courses included in the programme cover topics such as monolithic microwave and photonic integrated circuits, lasers, wireless and fibre optic communication systems, optoelectronics, satellite communication and positioning, antennas, sensor systems and space techniques. Together the research laboratories cover phenomena and applications of electromagnetic waves on all frequencies from microwaves to visible light.
Career
The industry is in the middle of the fourth industrial revolution, where the physical and digital worlds blend, and skilled experts in wireless and photonics technologies are needed. The telecom, aerospace, medical and automotive industries are all expected to grow in the coming years and students who have graduated from this programme will be in high demand. Our alumni work as technical specialists in the design, research, development or production of wireless and photonics components, and systems.
Entrepreneurship is strong in the region including many small enterprises and start-ups, for example, Omnisys Instruments (electronic systems for space), Medfield diagnostics (medical imaging), Bluetest (antenna test systems), Iloomina (photonic integration) and Gapwaves (integrated waveguide technology). The region is also a leading European R&D and industrial node including large companies such as Ericsson, Saab, Nvidia and RUAG Space. Ericsson is one of the world's leading information and communication companies and has one of its R&D centres located in Gothenburg, Saab offers defence and security systems, Nvidia develops chip units, including photonics, for mobile computing and data centre infrastructure, and RUAG Space develops antennas, data handling systems and on-board computers for the space sector.
The opportunities for an academic career are also excellent and a master’s degree from this programme is a perfect background for pursuing PhD studies in our research fields. Chalmers is internationally recognized for its cutting-edge research in microwave electronics, photonics, antennas, THz and mm waves, radio astronomy, plasma physics, space geodesy and remote sensing.
Managing the waves as an antenna engineer
Xadia Anguiano is figuring out how antennas work and fixing them when they don't.
Research
The teachers in the programme are active researchers at Chalmers. At the Department of microtechnology and nanoscience, they conduct application-oriented research on high-speed electronics for future communication and remote sensing applications, optoelectronics and fibre optics for long-haul transmission and short-reach interconnects THz imaging systems and advanced receivers for space applications. Since microwave power amplifiers dominate energy consumption in mobile communication networks, advanced transistor technologies and amplifier designs for increasing power efficiency are developed. Their research also focuses on different methods to increase data flow in fibre optical communication systems. For example, new optical amplifiers with extremely low noise with the potential to fourfold the transmission distance for long-distance links have been presented, as well as energy and cost-efficient lasers for high capacity short distance links. This technology is well suited for interconnects and networks within for example data centres or supercomputers.
At the Department of space, earth and environment, teachers conduct research in microwave and optical remote sensing, space geodesy and radio astronomy. One project develops methods to quantify gas emissions from active volcanoes which also provide information on ozone depletion and climate change. A method based on UV/visible light for quantifying hydrocarbon emissions from oil-related industrial activities has also been developed. Radar data from satellite missions and tower instruments are used to understand the role of forests, oceans and sea ice in climate change. The activities also include the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), the world's largest and most advanced radio telescope. A compact feed antenna with an extremely large bandwidth is developed for this purpose. This antenna technique can also be used in satellite communication terminals, radio links and medical imaging.
Find out more about research in Space, earth and environment
Requirements
How to apply - From application to admission
This is a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a Master's programme at Chalmers University of Technology.
