About the project
This interdisciplinary project aims to develop chip-based, microscale optical resonators for quantum technologies. Optical resonators strongly enhance the interaction between matter and light and integrating them on a microchip will allow scalable quantum computing, communication, and sensing.
In this project you will contribute to the design and numerical simulation of advanced photonic microresonators tailored for quantum applications, working in close collaboration with fabricators and experimentalists. We can also offer a project that combines modelling with experiments if you have the required skills. Potential areas of research include:
- integrated optical waveguides and Bragg gratings: Investigate the incorporation of grating couplers to generate beams of well-defined shape and polarisation for interaction with stationary trapped quantum particles, such as atoms or ions, combined with micromirrors for optical enhancement
- integrated microdisc resonators: Exploit the extremely high light confinement and low loss of microring resonators for quantum sensing and nonlinear frequency conversion
- microresonators with optimised geometries: Optimise the shape of micromirrors to create resonator fields with higher photon enhancement than regular spherical mirrors
- slow light: Exploit Bragg grating structures in waveguides to slow down light by orders of magnitude leading to strong enhancement of light-particle interaction
- optical parametric oscillators: Different quantum technologies (based on ions, atoms, superconducting circuits etc.) each come with their preferred photon frequency. On-chip photon frequency conversion will allow for hybrid quantum networks linking these together
If you have an interest in photonics, quantum technology, and computer-based modelling, you would be highly suitable for this project. You will benefit from our world-leading expertise in these fields and enjoy working in a highly supportive environment in our group and collaboration with partner groups across the University of Southampton and around the country.
