About the project
This PhD project aims to explore the role of quantum electronic coherence in photo-excited water samples and develop new kinds of liquid-based devices for wireless terahertz (THz) communication.
This approach exploits the transient coherent response of light-driven water, suggesting a shift from conventional electronic material, such as silicon or gallium arsenide, to cheaper, more abundant, and greener liquid alternatives.
Recent studies reveal that aqueous solutions can generate fast (20%) modulations at THz frequencies. For example, when exposed to the bright optical radiation from ultra-fast amplified lasers, concentrated iodide solutions are strongly ionized, and the impulsively generated electrons are characterized by a mobility of ~1 cm^2/(V·s), comparable to that found in conductive polymers or amorphous silicon.
The role of quantum coherence in these processes, however, is unclear. Open questions include the role of nuclear quantum effects in the hydrogen-bonded network of liquid water molecules and the decoherence time of impulsively generated electronic wavefunctions. As the THz emission depends on the phase of the driving light fields, the quantum control of the delocalized electronic states may tune transient photocurrents and expand the available THz bandwidth.
You will explore the role of electronic coherence in light-driven aqueous solutions and develop prototype antennas for wireless communication at THz frequencies (6G). You will contribute to every stage of the project and will have opportunities to broaden your expertise and network via interdisciplinary collaborations spanning optics, electronics, and chemistry.
Apart from the University of Southampton's supervisor, this project also has the following external supervisor:
- Dr Fabio Novelli, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB).