Bachelor-/ Master Thesis: »Development of an Adaptive Wavefront Sensor«

At the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, we are creating the production of the future with more than 450 employees – digital, sustainable and resilient. In the department »Production Metrology«, we deal with optical metrology systems in the context of production metrology. This includes modification and sensor fusion based on commercial sensing equipment, development of new metrology systems and integration into production facilities. 

Within the scope of your thesis, you will investigate the possibility to capture a light ray’s wavefront in high resolution utilizing an adaptive sensor concept. The wavefront serves as an indicator for beam quality in an optical set-up and consecutively for the assessment of involved optical components and their alignment. The investigation includes aspects of theoretical and simulation-based design, as well as experimental testing of the sensor in a lab set-up. Depending on your expertise and areas of interest, this work’s focus can be set on a part of these topics or separated in several theses. In an advanced set-up the sensor can be used for precise surface geometry measurement.

The job requires regular attendance at our institute in Aachen.

Be part of change

• Support conceptualization and component selection


• Design of experimental set-up


• Set-up, alignment and calibration of the sensor


• Conducting test measurements


• Theoretical and experimental investigation of postprocessing and interpretation methods


• System integration into an automated production environment

What you contribute

• You are studying mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, physics or a comparable subject


• You have initial experience in setting up and operating opto-mechanical systems


• Knowledge in programming with Python is advantageous


• A high degree of initiative and independence


• Good language skills in German and/or English

What we offer

• Ideal conditions for practical experience alongside your studies


• Professional supervision and collaboration in a dedicated team


• A state-of-the-art machine park equipped with edge cloud systems and 5G infrastructure


• Flexible working to combine study and job in the best possible way

 We value and promote the diversity of our employees' skills and therefore welcome all applications – regardless of age, gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, ideology, disability, sexual orientation and identity. Severely disabled persons are given preference in the event of equal suitability. Our tasks are diverse and adaptable – for applicants with disabilities, we work together to find solutions that best promote their abilities. 

With its focus on developing key technologies that are vital for the future and enabling the commercial utilization of this work by business and industry, Fraunhofer plays a central role in the innovation process. As a pioneer and catalyst for groundbreaking developments and scientific excellence, Fraunhofer helps shape society now and in the future. 

Ready for a change? Then apply now and make a difference! Once we have received your online application, you will receive an automatic confirmation of receipt. We will then get back to you as soon as possible and let you know what happens next.

For any further information on this position please contact:
Mischka Laemmerhold M.Sc.
Research Assistant »Production Metrology«
Phone: +49 241 8904-435

Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT 

​" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.ipt.fraunhofer.de