Thesis within Space Engineering: Laser Frequency Reference Development

Job description

Thesis within Space Engineering: Laser Frequency Reference Development

Airbus Defence and Space Friedrichshafen (ex Astrium SL)

Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2017, it generated revenues of € 67 billion and employed a workforce of around 130,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as Europe’s number one space enterprise and the world’s second largest space business. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.

Our people work with passion and determination to make the world a more connected, safer and smarter place. Taking pride in our work, we draw on each other's expertise and experience to achieve excellence. Our diversity and teamwork culture propel us to accomplish the extraordinary - on the ground, in the sky and in space.

Description of the job

Are you looking for a thesis (master/bachelor)? Would you like to discover the work of advanced spacecraft engineers? Then apply now! We look forward to you joining us in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Location: Friedrichshafen
Start: October, but is somewhat flexible upon agreement with the department
Duration: 6 months

Desired profile

Tasks & accountabilities

The advanced projects department of Airbus Defence and Space in Friedrichshafen (Germany) is operating the Laboratory for Enabling Technologies (LET). The LET’s main task is the development and verification of novel technologies for future space missions as well as supporting the activities of the department in general. In the last decade, the LET has developed a unique heritage in highly precise laser metrology for space applications and in the field of micro electric propulsion.

In order to be sufficiently stable for use in metrology, the laser is commonly locked to an external resonator. Apart from using optical cavities as a resonator, we are also developing setups to lock a laser to a transition in molecular iodine using spectroscopy techniques. The electronics to drive the setups mainly consists of commercial laboratory equipment (e.g. frequency generators, RF-amplifiers etc.) and self-developed analog controllers.
With regard to future applications in Space, it is crucial to integrate the electronics in a dedicated and compact box and to substitute the analog signal chains by digital signal processing to a great extent.

In a previous work, the analog feedback controllers have been replaced by digital control running on a National Instruments (NI) PXI system with FPGA extension board. Due to hardware limitations, the system still requires external components such as fast ADCs and signal generators.
As a next step towards a compact integrated system, a NI single-board controller (sbRIO) shall be used as the main processing unit, which is more compact and furthermore offers the opportunity for custom hardware extension using a daughter board.

Within the activities of a bachelor’s or master’s thesis, a daughter board for a sbRIO controller shall be developed and designed which provides the appropriate peripherals and interfaces to acquire and generate all the signals required to run a laser stabilization setup, such as fast ADCs/DACs, DDS and Clock Inputs/Outputs. Content of this thesis includes theoretical investigations on the hardware architecture, selecting suitable integrated circuits, designing the daughter board using common CAD tools (e.g. Eagle) and testing for its functionality.

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Required skills

Your offer:

·  Enrolled Student (m/f) within Aerospace Engineering or similar field of study
·  With respect to the mentioned task, you should fulfill the following requirements:

Strong interest in scientific research
Good knowledge and understanding in electronics engineering
Knowledge in designing printed circuits boards for RF-signals
Basic knowledge in LabView and Eagle (or similar)

·  English: fluent