Quantum sensing of complex quantum materials

The goal of this project is to investigate novel quantum materials with a quantum sensor consisting of a single electronic spin in a diamond atomic force microscope, operating down to ultra-low temperatures. By using a single electronic spin one can reach extremely high spatial resolution (down to 50nm), with a non-invasive probe to detect magnetic fields and electrical currents.

Satellite quantum photonics

Quantum communication enables the secure distribution of keys between communicating parties. Terrestrial key exchange in optical fibre is limited to distances of the order of hundred kilometers, due to fibre loss. The leading solution to truly global quantum networks is therefore the distribution of quantum light from satellites to optical ground stations. In this project, you will co-develop an entangled photon source for deployment on a UK cube sat mission which is scheduled to be launched within the lifetime of the PhD project. It will be carried out under the umbrella of the UK Quantum Technology Hub in Quantum Communications, an EPSRC funded £20M consortium of university and industry partners. There will be ample opportunities for travel, collaboration with partners within and beyond the hub, as well as outreach activities.

Contact: Prof. Alessandro Fedrizzi, Heriot-Watt University – A.Fedrizzi@hw.ac.uk 

Experimental quantum networking

The Edinburgh Mostly Quantum Lab (EMQL) offers a PhD position in photonic quantum networking with photonic telecom cluster states. The focus will be on experimental demonstrations in a range of multi-party quantum communication scenarios, including conference key distribution, all-optical repeaters, quantum network coding, and more. Our work is primarily experimental but a theory component is optional. The PhD project will be carried out under the umbrella of the UK Quantum Technology Hub in Quantum Communications, an EPSRC funded £20M consortium of university and industry partners. There will be ample opportunities for travel, collaboration with partners within and beyond the hub, as well as outreach activities.

Contact: Prof. Alessandro Fedrizzi, Heriot-Watt University – A.Fedrizzi@hw.ac.uk 

A Scalable and Coherent Semiconductor Spin-Photon Interface

Scalability is an outstanding challenge in semiconductor quantum technologies. This project aims to address this by realizing small nodes of coherent spin-photon interfaces.

Coherent spin-photon interfaces underpin many applications in quantum information science. Self-assembled quantum dots offer a promising platform to realize this: single spins can easily be manipulated and entangled with indistinguishable single photons. Unfortunately, the random nature of self-assembly creates challenges for scalability. This project aims to tackle this challenge using both on-chip and off-chip strategies to realize small-scale nodes of coherent spin-photon interfaces.

Contact: Prof. Brian D Gerardot, Heriot-Watt University – B.D.Gerardot@hw.ac.uk

SiC devices for quantum networking

Single electronic and nuclear spins are excellent systems to store and process fragile quantuminformation. The goal of this project is to develop spin-based opto-electronic quantummemory devices with single spins in silicon carbide. As a semiconductor widely used in microelectronics, silicon carbide is a promising platform to integrate spintronic functionalities in quantum devices compatible with the current industrial processing techniques. A strong emphasis of the project will be on taking full advantage of the well-established micro-electronic SiC technology to develop novel spin control and measurement techniques. This work is funded by EU and UK grants, with the opportunity to collaborate with major British and European research groups.

Contact: Prof. Cristian Bonato, Heriot-Watt University – C.Bonato@hw.ac.uk

Adaptive learning for quantum-enhanced sensing

This project will build on recent experimental and theoretical work showing, respectively, that spin sensors can detect the tiny magnetic field of isolated proximal nuclear spins and that their precision is boosted by quantum effects . This constitutes an exciting new frontier in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), a phenomenon that has found numerous applications across science and medicine, most notably MRI scanning. Developing optimised control approaches and sensing protocols will be tackled through a number of techniques including e.g. genetic algorithms, Bayesian approaches, machine learning, and “Hamiltonian learning”.

This project is a collaboration between an experimental group (led by Cristian Bonato at the Quantum Photonics Lab, https://qpl.eps.hw.ac.uk) and the Quantum Theory Team (led by Erik Gauger,  http://qtt.eps.hw.ac.uk) at Heriot-Watt. We have projects available for two students on this topic, to work in a mix between theory and experiments (depending on the interests and skills of each individual student).

The PhD studentships will be funded by EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) for 3.5 years.  All applicants must have or expect to have a 1st class MChem, MPhys, MSci, MEng or equivalent degree by Autumn 2022.

Application enquiries can be sent to Cristian Bonato (c.bonato@hw.ac.uk) and Erik Gauger (e.gauger@hw.ac.uk), Heriot-Watt University.

Novel platforms for integrated quantum devices based on rare earth doped insulating materials

We offer a 3.5-year PhD position for a talented, proactive, and strongly motivated candidate who will join a newly established lab with potential for ground breaking scientific research in the field of solid-state quantum memories for quantum communication applications.

Rare earth ion doped crystals are particularly attractive as materials for quantum memory implementations because they are ensembles of optically active ions naturally trapped in inert media. As such, they offer unique quantum information multiplexing opportunities, beside excellent coherence properties and efficient addressability with both optical and RF fields.

This project aims at the development of new platforms for integrated quantum devices based on rare earth ion doped materials. This will involve

• the investigation of the mechanisms affecting the optical and spin coherence properties of new materials
• the implementation of quantum storage protocols
• the design of confined structure with the aim of achieving improved performances due to the strong light matter interaction and facilitating the coupling with other integrated quantum technologies as quantum light sources or detectors.

The research will be carried out in the Quantum Photonics Lab at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (https://www.hw.ac.uk/), under the supervision of Dr Margherita Mazzera. The Quantum Photonics Lab (qpl.eps.hw.ac.uk) works on quantum devices in different material platforms (as rare earth ion doped crystals, diamond, SiC, “beyond graphene” 2D materials and III-V semiconductors). The lab hosts state-of-the-art facilities, including several cryostats, superconducting single-photon detectors, lasers and radio-frequency equipment for high-fidelity spin manipulation.

The present project opens the possibility to work in close contact and friendly collaboration with the most important and prolific international research groups active in this field.

Additionally, the outlined work-plan will allow developing numerous hands-on skills as optical spectroscopy, light manipulation and characterization, quantum and non-linear optics, vacuum, cryogenics and photon counting techniques.

Applicants must have or expect to have a first-class degree or equivalent in physics, or other relevant subject in the physical sciences. A background in experimental physics is desirable.

The PhD project is available for 3.5 years for UK or EU nationals. This funding includes a stipend of £15k per year.

If interested, please send your CV, academic transcripts and a cover letter explaining your motivation/interest in this project, to Dr Margherita Mazzera (m.mazzera@hw.ac.uk, +44 (0)131 451 8220, https://qpl.eps.hw.ac.uk/).

Data fusion approaches for high-speed imaging in highly scattering media

This PhD project’s aim is to develop a low-power consumption, light-weight video imaging system that can measure in 3D continuously at speeds greater than 1000 frames per second.  The goal is a system that can see through scattering media at high frames rates.   The system will take advantage of the very latest developments in CMOS single-photon detector arrays and the very latest data fusion and non-local image processing algorithms.  This unique combination hardware and processing will enable us to record high-resolution and continuous 3D images at frame rates greater than 1000 frames per second.  The single photon sensitivity of the system will enable visualisation in degraded environments, e.g. fog, smoke, and snow.  The high-frame rates and resolution that our system provides will lead to a transformation in three-dimensional imaging, opening applications in a wide range of sectors.  Applications of the technology in the defence sector span, 3D ballistics testing, safety testing, tracking, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), autonomous vehicles, surveillance, land surveys, robotics, atmospheric monitoring, and prototyping and manufacturing.

The student should have a strong background in physics, engineering, or related subject.  This is an experimental PhD with a strong requirement for skills in engineering and data processing.  The student will be responsible for the development of the system and the and the implementation of the latest signal processing algorithms. Significant time in the PhD will be dedicated to field trials to test the system in real-life scenarios.

The PhD will be funded by DSTL (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) and will be placed in the Experimental Quantum Optics group at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

This group is led by Dr. Jonathan Leach.

More information: hwquatum.org

Application enquiries can be sent to Jonathan Leach, Heriot-Watt University – j.leach@hw.ac.uk

References

• Long-range depth imaging using a single-photon detector array and non-local data fusion
  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44316-x
• Single-photon sensitive light-in-fight imaging
  https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms7021

High-dimensional measurement-device-independent quantum systems

In recent years, device-independent systems have become of significant interest in quantum technology.  A system that is device independent provides the highest level of security for quantum protocols.  This PhD project’s aim is to design and build such systems for secure quantum communication and networking.   Our aim is to increase the bandwidth of quantum information protocol, such as teleportation, entanglement swapping, and quantum key distribution, by exploiting the high-dimensional nature of photonic states of light.  All of the work relates to the fundamental science of quantum technology.

This is an experimental PhD, where we will make use of the very latest in quantum technology to generate, manipulate, and measure high-dimensional entangled states of light.  We will make use of ultra-fast lasers, non-linear optics, spatial light modulators, and superconducting single-photon detectors.

The student should have a strong background in experimental physics, engineering, or related subject.  This is an experimental PhD with a strong requirement for the development of skills in single-photon optics. The student will be responsible for the development of both the hardware and the software of the system.

This is a 3.5 year PhD studentship.  The PhD will be funded by EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council ) and will be placed in the Experimental Quantum Optics group at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

This group is led by Dr. Jonathan Leach.

More information: hwquatum.org

Application enquiries can be sent to Jonathan Leach, Heriot-Watt University – j.leach@hw.ac.uk

References

• Ghost imaging using entanglement-swapped photons:                                                       https://www.nature.com/articles/s41534-019-0176-5
• Experimental High-Dimensional Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Steering: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.030401
• Experimental measurement-device-independent verification of quantum steering: https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms6886

Electro-optic control and readout architecture for integrated quantum circuits

Quantum technology has gone in a few years from “blue sky” science to a rapidly developing field of technology: one of the most important commercial and strategic sectors to invest in, with an increasing focus on real-world applications. This is due to the disruptive performances offered in the most notable examples: quantum computing focused to solve computationally impossible tasks of societal importance like optimization, cryptanalysis, machine learning. Superconducting technology offers the best-in-class devices for quantum computing: Superconducting qubits. Power dissipation, footprint, limited frequency/accuracy of standard electronics (CMOS) used for coherent control and readout prevent the scaling up in size to achieve required performances in real applications. Quantum computers are superior to conventional computers for their high computing power, and this is true only if they have many qubits e.g., 100s or more. The current leading commercial players in the field have successfully demonstrated processors with more than 50 cryogenic qubits using the classical control interferences which suffer from bulky cables and electronics. The implementation of a scalable architecture goes far beyond the realm of ‘mere’ engineering and a transformative approach is required to exploit the “quantum advantage”.

Project objectives and expertise development

The key for scalability and performance preservation of large qubits arrays relies on the development of a low power and high speed and efficiency signal transfer and processing system between cryogenic and room temperature. A very interesting approach to overcome the limitations of conventional wire-based readout schemes relies on the potential offered from integrated photonics and optical fibres to transduce electric pulses into light pulses for efficient signal transmission and processing required for de-multiplexing, as recently proposed for control and readout either of superconducting qubits arrays. ¹

The heat load associated with optical fibre can be as low as 1000 lower than conventional electrical wiring, even lower if compared with stainless steel coaxial cables used for control and readout to of qubits. Optical fibres show also high immunity to electromagnetic interference for improved robustness to noise and crosstalk when transmitting high densities of signals (~tbps/mm²). This has the enormous potential to unlock multiplexing of very large qubits arrays using just a few optical fibres in the cryostat exploring off-the-shelf Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) techniques.  Ultra-fast electrical pulse can be converted to light pulse using Lithium Niobate on insulator (LNOI) or BaTiO₃ (BTO) electro-optical modulators/shifters, working also at cryogenic temperature, owing to their excellent electro-optic – EO – properties of: modulation efficiency ~10-1000 pm/V; high switching modulation frequency (~10-30 GHz); low power dissipation (<50 nW per switch) along with ultralow-loss and high-confinement nanophotonic waveguides and the possibility of on-chip integration with qubits.

This project aims to fill this existing gap in quantum computing technology by picking up ripe fruit offered from integrated photonics todevelop an innovative hybrid EO scheme for control and readout of large qubits array to offer unprecedented performances in the most challenging XXI century applications.

During the project expertise and capabilities for the nanofabrication and cryogenic characterization of electro-optic devices alongside quantum measurements will be developed by the candidate to offer a common root solution for efficient large-scale implementation of SC qubits. The outcome technology has a huge potential to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The student will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and be supported by world-leading experts. The project is multidisciplinary in nature and the student will have the opportunity to work with industry and academia.

Engagement with the UK National Quantum Technology Programme and community

The student will work in tight synergy with an interdisciplinary team that got recently awarded the EPSRC grant Empowering Practical Interfacing of Quantum Computing – EPIQC (EP/W032627/1) and will be closely involved in the UK National Quantum Technology programme through the QuantIC and QCSH hubs. The student will make regular visits to NPL for collaborative experiments and to engage with NPL’s wide-ranging Quantum technologies effort and will participate fully in all scientific and industry partner meetings, and national events.  The student will have a key role in identifying and consolidating new links with potential collaborators and end-users across the UK quantum technology landscape.

Dissemination

The student will be supported in participating in UK and international conferences spanning cryogenics, superconductivity, photonics and quantum technologies (CLEO, SPIE, SPW, ASC etc.).  The student will be supported in publishing key outputs in high-ranking peer-reviewed journals.

Salary and fees

The studentship is supported by the James Watt School of Engineering and will cover home tuition fees and provide a stipend for 3.5 years.

Applications are sought from highly motivated students graduating with first degree (2:1 or higher) in physics, electronics engineering or materials science. Previous research experience is greatly valued.

Contacts

For more information contact Dr Alessandro Casaburi alessandro.casbauri@glasgow.ac.uk or Prof Martin Weides martin.weides@glasgow.ac.uk 

• 1: Lecocq et al., Nature 591, 575 (2021)

Experimental realization of many-body coupling schemes with superconducting quantum hardware

Superconducting quantum circuits are one of the forerunners in the worldwide race to create commercially sustainable quantum processors able to solve real-world problems. Small (3-20 qubits) processors can solve problems such as finding the spectra of small molecules such as H₂ and LiH or the binding energy of small nuclei such as deuterium. State-of-the-art circuits have ~50 qubits and are reaching a computational complexity at the limit of today’s high-performance data centres.

Superconducting circuits are an ideal choice as they can be easily integrated and scaled up to large numbers and offer -in principal- a variety of coupling schemes (longitudinal, orthogonal to one or more qubits). While two-qubit coupling schemes have been chosen for the first generation of processors, many-body interactions enable the execution of multi-qubit gates in a single step and will thus greatly reduce the circuit depth of near-term quantum computations.

The student will design a new generation of integrated circuit networks where the couplings between qubits and/or resonators are not implemented conventionally, i.e. via capacitances and inductances, but realised by non-linear circuit elements. In this way, we will experimentally demonstrate a highly versatile platform of many-body coupled qubits, and address some of today’s most significant challenges in scaling quantum technology.

Contact: Prof. Martin Weides, University of Glasgow – martin.weides@glasgow.ac.uk

Cold atom memories for vector light fields

The Optics Group at the University of Glasgow announces the opening of a 3.5 year PhD studentship, starting from 1^st October 2022, in quantum imaging and sensing with cold atoms. The position is fully funded, covering all fees for UK and potentially international candidates.

The Optics Group is part of a diverse and exciting research environment with focus on structured light, quantum and computational imaging and atom trapping. Students will receive postgraduate teaching and skills training as part of the SUPA (Scottish Universities Physics Alliance) partnership, as well as cutting-edge research training in via the International Graduate School for Quantum Technologies.

Vector light fields can be structured in their intensity, phase and polarisation, and our group has developed sophisticated techniques for the generation of such light. In this project you will imprint vector light fields onto cold rubidium atoms, transferring optical polarisation structures to the alignment of atomic quantum structures. This will allow you to explore fundamental vectorial light-matter interaction and investigate the possibility of vector-enhanced sensing and imaging. You will join a friendly and enthusiastic team working on our dark spot magneto-optical trap and on state-of-the-art light shaping.

Applicants : Applicants should have a first class Honours/Bachelor’s or an upper second class Master’s degree in Physics or Engineering, and ideally experience in experimental optics and/or atom optics.

We intend to reach a decision on the candidate as soon as possible – if you want to join our team please apply soon!

How to Apply : Please apply online via our Physics and Astronomy Graduate School

https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/physics/research/postgraduate/

Please refer to the following website for details on how to apply:

http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/opportunities/howtoapplyforaresearchdegree/

If you have any questions on the project or the application process please get in touch!

Contact: Sonja Franke-Arnold, University of Glasgow – sonja.franke-arnold@glasgow.ac.uk 

Space Quantum Communication

Deadline 30/5/2022 (UK students only)

Contact: Dr. Daniel Oi, University of Strathclyde – daniel.oi@strath.ac.uk

Vortex Dynamics in Ultracold Quantum Mixtures

In a quantum many-body system the interactions between the constituent microscopic particles lead to emergent macroscopic phenomena such as superfluidity (fluid flow without viscosity) and superconductivity (conduction of electricity without resistance). Novel phases such as high-temperature superconductivity form the basis of quantum materials, where useful emergent properties can lead to new technologies. Studying the dynamics of vortices (quantum whirlpools) can give key insight into the inner workings of these systems. Superfluids formed of ultracold atoms provide an extremely clean and well-controlled system for studies of collective quantum behaviour, with exquisite control over interactions, geometry, and rotation (vorticity). Importantly, in superfluids formed of mixtures of ultracold atoms we can tune the interactions to emphasize quantum effects such as fluctuations.

A key aim of this research project is to explore regimes where the dynamics of the superfluid depends on its inherent quantum nature, driving our fundamental understanding of superfluidity as a collective quantum phenomenon. You will work closely with the supervisor to develop a state-of-the-art experimental apparatus to explore vortex dynamics in binary superfluids, with a particular emphasis on reduced dimensionality (e.g., quasi-2D disc, or quasi-1D ring geometries) where quantum fluctuations are enhanced.

You will also acquire practical skills in the areas of quantum technologies, optics and atomic physics. These skills include working with lasers, designing optical systems, high-resolution imaging and image processing, cooling and trapping atoms, as well as electronics and mechanical design.

— Contact: Dr. Kali Wilson, University of Strathclyde – kali.wilson@strath.ac.uk

Ultra-precise atomic magnetometry

This PhD project on measurement of magnetic fields has begun at the University of Strathclyde, which will push the attainable sensitive below the femtoTesla level (ten orders of magnitude below the Earth’s magnetic field.) Using compact, room temperature, atomic samples the new lab will compete directly with superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) based systems that require prohibitively expensive cryogenic environments. The outcomes of the project will be immediately applied to measurement of real-world systems, including bio-magnetic fields such as those produced by the neuronal electrical activity of the human brain. — Contact: Prof Erling Riis, University of Strathclyde – e.riis@strath.ac.uk

Atomic clocks

Laser cooling of atoms has revolutionised measurement science. The primary frequency and time standard is now based on ultra-cold caesium atoms in an atomic fountain – i.e. weakly interacting atoms freely falling in gravity. The increase in accuracy afforded by this technology, however, comes at a cost in terms of size, complexity and power consumption. In stark contrast to this are the chip-scale atomic clocks (CSAC), which are compact and have low power consumption, but much inferior accuracy. With the present project we seek to integrate the technique for cold atom production based on micro-fabricated optical elements with established techniques for driving the atomic clock transition in order to achieve a compact setup with good long-term stability.

Contact: Dr Paul Griffin, University of Strathclyde – paul.griffin@strath.ac.uk

Atom interferometry

If an atomic vapour (of bosons) is sufficiently cold and dense a phase transition occurs and all of the atoms coalesce into the same (lowest energy) quantum state. Such a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), in which all of the atoms share the same wavefunction and behave in essentially the same way, is thus the atomic analogue of a laser – an atom laser. This opens the possibility of replicating many of the traditional interferometry experiments from optics with atomic waves. Contrary to photons, though, atoms are sensitive to their environment, and so this provides the basis for new generations of devices for measuring quantities such as gravity, acceleration and rotation. As the de Broglie wavelength of the atoms now define the sensitivity this represents a potentially vast increase in measurement sensitivity.

Contact: Dr Paul Griffin, University of Strathclyde – paul.griffin@strath.ac.uk

Magnetometers in the field

The ongoing development of sensing modalities and capabilities of atomic magnetometers operating in earth field will enable enhanced abilities in remote sensing. The present project seeks to develop the measurement capabilities of miniaturised optically pumped atomic magnetometers, that will ultimately be capable of field deployment. This project involves the development and integration of the individual components required to realise reliable and autonomous measurement devises with applications ranging from geophysical surveying, to cardiology, to high throughput industrial inspection.

Contact: Dr Paul Griffin, University of Strathclyde – paul.griffin@strath.ac.uk

Integrated control electronics for semiconductor quantum devices

Quantum properties of integrated frequency combs for applications in computing, communications and sensing

Quantum Enhanced Imaging with Micro-LED Ultrafast Electronic Visual Display Technology

High-speed, spatially multiplexed single photon emitter arrays

Generating single photons on-demand at high rates is a key resource for quantum encryption and information processing. Furthermore, scaling up these emitters to arrays of devices that emit indistinguishable photons will enable new forms of photonic integrated circuit (PIC) systems-on-a-chip. The production of on-demand photon emitters in a large spatial array requires a number of important advances on the current state-of-the-art. Firstly, nanofabrication of solid-state photon emitters, such as colour centres in diamond or semiconductor quantum dots, must be controllably manufactured with micron-scale precision. Secondly, these emitters must be integrated with a common pump source to produce time correlated emission. Finally, the output of these emitters must be efficiently coupled into waveguides or fibre optic channels to route and manipulate them in subsequent circuits or sensors.

In this project the student will make use of new methods in hybrid materials integration to combine efficient photon emitter materials with optical pump sources, timing electronics and PIC systems. This will involve the design and fabrication of PIC devices and the use of flip-chip bonding and transfer printing assembly processes in the on-site cleanroom at the University of Strathclyde. Custom toolsets have been developed in the group for these processes and the student will have full access to processing and assembly tools in the semiconductor fabrication facility. The systems will be designed to interface with on-chip waveguides and multi-core fibre geometries and will be characterised in state-of-the-art photonics laboratories. The student will therefore be part of the full technology development process, including basic design and simulation, fabrication and measurement. Crucially, as part of this work, the student will work at the interface between photonics and high-speed parallel electronics to allow deterministic spatial control of the photon emitter arrays using CMOS electronic chips co-packaged with the PIC chips.

This project is co-funded by the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics and the student will benefit from access to Fraunhofer labs, training and industrially relevant workshops and cohort activities. The student will be part of the core PIC research team at the University of Strathclyde and will have the opportunity to work with others in a collegiate and enthusiastic environment. Research findings will be published in high impact journals with the opportunity to present at an international conference.

Institute of Photonics

The Institute of Photonics (IoP), part of the Department of Physics, is a centre of excellence in applications-oriented research at the University of Strathclyde. The Institute’s key objective is to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial applications and development in the area of photonics. The IoP is located in the £100M Technology and Innovation Centre on Strathclyde’s Glasgow city centre campus, at the heart of Glasgow’s Innovation District, where it is co-located with the UK’s first Fraunhofer Research Centre. Researchers at the IoP are active in a broad range of photonics fields under the areas of Photonic Devices, Advanced Lasers and Neurophotonics, please see our research. Strathclyde Physics is a member of SUPA, the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance.

Funding details

The funding covers the full stipend and tuition fees at the home rate (not the international rate). To be classed as a home student, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or
• have settled status, or
• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• have indefinite leave to remain or enter

Quantum Photonic Integrated Circuits Operating at Cryogenic Temperatures

Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) have developed rapidly over the last decade, enabling the miniaturisation of optical systems onto a single chip. Furthermore, the integration of electronics and photonics on a chip have underpinned advances in telecommunications, sensing, and recently, quantum information processing.  In quantum systems, photons can be used as a communications layer between solid-state quantum nodes or as qubits themselves. The compact size and mechanical stability of PICs make them an attractive option for the routing and processing of optical signals at significant scale.

One major challenge lies in the reconfigurability of these PICs. To allow for flexible and controllable circuits, a mechanism for tuning optical components is necessary. The most innovative current state of the art in the field for telecommunications applications uses PIN junction diodes or thermal heater elements to create absorption or refractive index changes in the waveguiding material. For quantum systems, neither of these methods are ideal, the former introduces noise photons to the circuit and the latter introducing thermal sources into the cryogenic conditions necessary for many of the single photon source and detector technologies employed.

In this project a new method for tuning PICs will be developed that is compatible with cryogenic and low power consumption operation. To achieve this a hybrid integration method will be used to integrate different optical materials together on a single chip. Second order non-linear response materials will be used to create refractive index changes by direct electronic control, compatible with operation in cryogenic environments.

The student will carry out numerical simulations of devices to optimise the geometries and circuit layouts which will then be used for fabrication of PIC systems.  The student will be responsible for the measurement of the resultant PIC systems in state-of-the-art optical laboratories with access to classical and single photon sensitive measurement equipment. Measurement results will be used to feedback into optimisation of the fabrication process with final circuit designs being used to implement quantum information processing experiments. The student will be part of a larger research group with the opportunity to work with others in a collegiate and enthusiastic team. Research findings will be published in high impact journals with the opportunity to present at an international conference.

Institute of Photonics

The Institute of Photonics (IoP), part of the Department of Physics, is a centre of excellence in applications-oriented research at the University of Strathclyde.  The Institute’s key objective is to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial applications and development in the area of photonics. The IoP is located in the £100M Technology and Innovation Centre on Strathclyde’s Glasgow city centre campus, at the heart of Glasgow’s Innovation District, where it is co-located with the UK’s first Fraunhofer Research Centre. Researchers at the IoP are active in a broad range of photonics fields under the areas of Photonic Devices, Advanced Lasers and Neurophotonics, please see our research. Strathclyde Physics is a member of SUPA, the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance.

Funding details

The funding covers the full stipend and tuition fees at the home rate (not the international rate). To be classed as a home student, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or
• have settled status, or
• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• have indefinite leave to remain or enter

Advanced optical wireless communications based on Deep-ultraviolet micro-LEDs

Micro-LEDs are revolutionising the display industry. We aim to explore novel versions of these devices operating across the ultraviolet region of the spectrum, offering new applications in optical wireless communications for terrestrial and space applications.

Deadline (dd/mm/yy)

30/05/22

Start date

October 2022

Duration

3.5 yrs

Funded/Unfunded

Fully Funded

Funding towards: Home fee; Travel; International fee; Stipend; Equipment costs

Fees and stipend

Number of places

1

Eligibility

UK and EU nationals only

Study mode: F/T; P/T; Distance

F/T

Fee status: Home; EU; RUK; International; Channel Islands and Isle of Man

Home/EU

Project details

‘Micro-LED’ is a revolutionary form of electronic visual display technology, which is semiconductor-based and utilises very high densities of micron-sized LED pixels. Advanced commercial micro-LED demonstrators now in the public domain include Samsung’s ‘The Wall™’ and Sony’s ‘Crystal LED™’ TVs, and virtual and augmented reality headsets based on this technology are being developed by such as Facebook and Microsoft.

The University of Strathclyde’s Institute of Photonics is a recognised international pioneer of this technology, which it has developed over the past 20 years. These devices have proven capabilities in application areas well beyond simple display functionality, including biophotonics, wireless optical communications networks, and quantum-level imaging. The attraction of this technology is underpinned by direct interfacing to CMOS electronics, operation at very high (Megahertz) frame rates, and data transmission at gigabits/second.

Here, as part of a funded collaboration with the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics – the UK’s only Fraunhofer research centre, which develops new technology for industry – we propose to investigate the optical wireless communications capability of micro-LEDs operating in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum. Ultraviolet light (here taken as spanning 260-370nm in wavelength) can expose photoresists for semiconductor manufacturing; it can propagate in atmosphere in spectral regions where solar radiation is absorbed and so can be ‘solar blind’ and available for exquisite forms of low light level sensing and optical communications; it can be used in sterilization and disinfection; it interacts selectively with atmospheric pollutants such as sulphur dioxide for novel forms of sensing. The development and fabrication of micro-pixel LED (micro-LED) devices in this wavelength region will impact all of these areas of application and beyond.

The successful applicant will combine advanced research in photonics with gaining underpinning experience in electronics, semiconductors and optical communications. He/she will learn to implement and characterize a range of ultraviolet-based micro-LED optical communications links, studying the underpinning device operation and the communications system performance.

The PhD student, advantageously having a background in physics or electronic engineering, will have access to state-of-the-art optical laboratories and extensive test and measurement equipment, and will engage in collaboration with Fraunhofer and its academic and commercial partners.

Institute of Photonics:

The Institute of Photonics (IoP), part of the Department of Physics, is an internationally recognised centre of research excellence at the University of Strathclyde – the Times Higher Education UK University of the Year 2012/13 and 2019/20, and UK Entrepreneurial University of the Year 2013/14. Strathclyde Physics is a member of SUPA, the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance.

The Institute’s key objective is to perform use-inspired basic research in photonics for both scientific and industrial application. The IoP is located in the £100M Technology and Innovation Centre on Strathclyde’s Glasgow city centre campus, where it is co-located with the UK’s first Fraunhofer Research Centre, these units together comprising over 100 research staff and postgraduate students.  Researchers at the IoP are prominent in a broad range of photonics fields in the areas of Photonic Devices, Advanced Lasers and Neurophotonics, please see:

http://www.strath.ac.uk/science/physics/instituteofphotonics/ourresearch/.

Supervisor/s

Professor Martin Dawson and Dr Johannes Herrnsdorf

How to apply

To enter our PhD programme applicants require an upper-second or first class BSc Honours degree, or a Masters qualification of equal or higher standard, in Physics, Engineering or a related discipline.  Full funding, covering fees and stipend, is available for UK and EU nationals only.

Applicants should send a CV to iop@strath.ac.uk

Satellite Quantum Key Distribution and Communication

Secure quantum communication over long distances may be enabled by the development of satellite platforms for the distribution of quantum states and entanglement from space. The Chinese satellite Micius has demonstrated the technical feasibility of satellite quantum communication and there are many international efforts to achieve similar capability. Quantum Key Distribution is the prime application but such space systems may be able to support new and novel protocols even more challenging to perform with terrestrial fibre networks.

This project will look at providing the theoretical underpinnings to support the ongoing development of space quantum communication technologies and their applications. It will investigate the development, analysis, and optimisation of space-based quantum communication and key distribution protocols.

The candidate should have a background in quantum information theory or related subjects and possess strong analytic and numerical skills. Computational modelling experience is advantageous. The candidate will work closely with experimentalists and engineers hence should have the ability to effectively work and communicate across disciplines.

The student will join the Computational Nonlinear and Quantum Optics group within the Optics Division of the Department of Physics at Strathclyde. The project will interface with ongoing efforts towards launch of a satellite quantum communication in-orbit demonstration mission.

Funding Notes

Scholarships (fees and stipend) available on a competitive basis for UK/EU students, please contact supervisor, Dr Daniel Oi, for details.

Theory of quantum simulation with atoms and ions

The last few years have seen substantial progress in the development of quantum simulation with cold atom platforms (including atoms in optical lattices, and Rydberg arrays), and trapped ions. In this project, we will (1) explore fundamental aspects of out-of-equilibrium dynamics in these systems, (2) investigate means to use measurements of these dynamics to benchmark regimes where quantum advantage over classical computations can be demonstrated, and (3) investigate potential applications of these devices towards computational problems of interest beyond quantum physics. This project will involve the application and further development of analytical and numerical methods, including recently developed matrix product operator methods and time-dependent density matrix renormalisation group techniques.   These theoretical studies are directly related to ongoing experiments, including work being performed in the photonics groups at the University of Strathclyde, relevant to the EPSRC programme grant on Designing out-of-equilibrium many-body quantum systems (http://desoeq.phys.strath.ac.uk) and the EU Quantum Technologies Flagship Quantum Simulation project PASQuanS (https://pasquans.eu/).

Contact: Prof. Andrew Daley,  University of Strathclyde – andrew.daley@strath.ac.uk

Quantum-enhanced multiphoton fluorescence microscopy

The generation and manipulation of quantum states of light will be used to overcome some of the main limitations of multiphoton fluorescence microscopy, such has the extremely low cross sections and the need of intense ultrashort lasers. The student will study and set up the appropriate quantum light source for enhancing multiphoton fluorescence microscopy of biological samples. The project will encompass a combination of nonlinear and quantum optics, as well as imaging. The PhD student will work on the design and realisation of optical systems, nonlinear frequency conversion, the generation and characterisation of quantum states (e.g. entangled photons), software coding and microscopy. They will have access to state-of-the-art optical laboratories, laser sources and photon detectors. The studentship is co-funded by Fraunhofer UK, giving access to their prototyping facilities and promoting collaborative work with technology users. – Contact: Dr Lucia Caspani, University of Strathclyde – lucia.caspani@strath.ac.uk