About the Project

Over the past decade, quantum sensors have rapidly progressed and have demonstrated their exceptional stability and precision. They have gathered significant interest from fundamental research and real-world applications, including navigation. Satellite navigation (SatNav) has soon prevailed after it was open to civilian use in the late 1980s, despite its inherent limitations, e.g. the proneness to interference and spoofing, the satellite signal reception in specific environments, including underground and underwater.

To investigate new tools for navigation and help address such challenges, the Quantum Sensing Group (QSG) at the University of Birmingham has partnered with three universities in an EPSRC-funded grant “Chip-scale Atomic Systems for a Quantum Navigator”. The QSG is pursuing research towards chip-scale quantum accelerometers and gravimeters for navigation applications. The group is now advertising two PhD positions to join the research team, seeking candidates with a keen interest in science and technology.

Prospective PhD students will be involved in researching techniques to enable chip-scale quantum acceleration sensors, and relevant atom interferometry techniques, to tackle both physical and technological challenges faced by these novel chip-scale atomic sensors. They will have the opportunity to pursue both experimental works and simulations for concept validation.

Background/interest in atomic physics, or similar topics, will be an advantage, as would experience and interest in laboratory working, such as with optical systems. An awareness of working with electronics and programming languages like Python is desirable but not essential.

The successful candidates will join a thriving quantum technology research base at the University of Birmingham. The University has been active in quantum technologies since 2014 and now leads the UK Quantum Technology Research Hub in Sensing, Imaging and Timing (QuSIT). Bringing together academic partners from seven universities, the British Geological Survey and the National Physical Laboratory, this interdisciplinary Hub is active in translating quantum technology research into both applications and fundamental science, including numerous collaborative projects with industry.

The Quantum Sensing Group, in the School of Physics and Astronomy, is dedicated to research for fundamental sciences and practical applications. The group is home to a range of activities including five operating atom interferometers, precision spectroscopy and underpinning technologies. The group promotes an open and inclusive culture, fostering a friendly, supportive and collaborative working environment. The group brings together people with skillsets from across areas such as physics, applied physics and engineering, with group members from eight different countries, speaking over twelve different languages. The QSG is part of the larger Quantum Technologies research group, which includes further research in areas including optical clocks, theory and modelling and quantum memories.

The School of Physics and Astronomy is an Institute of Physics Juno Champion since 2014 and holder of the Athena SWAN Silver Award. Both initiatives recognise the School’s commitment to promote diversity and equality, and to encourage better practice for all members of the community, whilst also working towards developing an equitable working culture in which all students and staff can achieve their full potential. We welcome applications from all qualified applicants, and encourage applications from traditionally under-represented groups in physics and astronomy including, but not limited to, women and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Yu-Hung Lien (y.lien@bham.ac.uk) or Professor Michael Holynski (m.holynski@bham.ac.uk).