Admissions period Summer 2026

ICFO offers a limited number of PhD positions to well-qualified applicants who wish to obtain a doctoral degree in any of the research topics available within our Research Groups

Our PhD-program brings together top-level training and teaching for young scientists in a stimulating, international and interdisciplinary environment.

Research lines include, but are not limited to theoretical and experimental aspects of:

• Atto-Science, Ultrafast Optics & Nonlinear Optics
  
• Photovoltaics, Thermal Photonics & Solar Fuels
  
• Optical Sensing & Optoelectronics
  
• NanoPhotonics & NanoMechanics
  
• Ultracold Quantum Gases
  
• Quantum and Low-Dimensional Materials
  
• Quantum Communications, Sensing & Simulation
  
• Quantum Optics & Quantum Information
  
• Nanophotonics, Condensed Matter Physics & Light-Matter Interactions
  
• Medical Optics
  
• Biophysics, Biophotonics & Super-Resolution Imaging
  

All PhD students admitted to ICFO are provided with a fellowship, with conditions as described in detail below.

Important:
Students applying to join the program are advised to directly contact the Research Group(s) of interest as part of the application process. We will use internal recommendations from Group Leaders to help identify candidates of interest during the admissions period.

As part of your application you will be requested to indicate the research group(s) in which you are interested in undertaking your PhD. Please be as specific as possible here, explaining your motivation to join the groups indicated. Please, browse our website for details about ICFO Research Groups and Group Leaders at In the group profile, you will also see specific available PhD-projects in that particular group (application should be formalized through this present general call with the corresponding selection process applicable). If you are interested in discussing possible research topics, please contact ICFO Group Leaders directly.