About the project
This is a PhD Studentship in Nanophotonics and Metamaterials with Industrial placement at QinetiQ. This project will explore the design and fabrication of optical metasurfaces for infrared applications using advanced cleanroom nanofabrication and nanophotonics experiments.
Infrared technologies are of increasing vital for a range of applications including:
- autonomous vehicles
- environmental and industrial monitoring
- (aero)space
- defence and security
The scope of this project is to advance the fundamental physics and technology of metasurfaces in the infrared domain, with an emphasis on achieving both spatial variation, such as pixelated metasurfaces, and active control using electrical or optical actuation.
The project will explore the design of metasurfaces through both commercial and custom-built software, such as deep learning. Experimentally, we will fabricate metasurface optics using advanced full-wafer fabrication tools such as Southampton’s Deep-UV lithography (the only such system available in the UK’s academic research community) and our new 200 kV electron beam lithography system (the only such system currently installed in UK and Europe). You will receive training and will develop strong expertise in fabrication of devices using one of the leading research cleanroom facilities in the UK and worldwide.
This collaborative PhD studentship involves a joint partnership with QinetiQ, a multinational technology company providing advanced technology solutions for a range of application areas. You will periodically visit QinetiQ at their Farnborough site (based in Hampshire and convenient for travel to and from Southampton), where their activities will focus on, but not limited to:
- training
- knowledge transfer
- specification requirements
- characterisation
- system assembly
- testing
In addition to in-person visits, QinetiQ will maintain regular contact with you, providing mentorship and guidance from an industrial perspective.
You will join the Quantum, Light and Matter group at the University of Southampton, and frequently visit QinetiQ’s research facility in Farnborough, Hampshire.