Integrating hollow-core fibres with photonic integrated circuits

About the Project

Supervisory Team: Dr Ian Davidson, Dr Yongmin Jung, Professor Austin Taranta and Professor Callum Littlejohns

Are you excited by cutting-edge optics, photonics, and the chance to help develop revolutionary new technology? This PhD project explores how to combine two transformative technologies – Hollow-Core Fibres (HCFs) and Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) to build a revolutionary new photonics platform and unlock new possibilities in science and engineering.

Hollow-Core Fibres (HCFs) and Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) are revolutionary technologies poised to change our world. HCFs guide light through air rather than glass, offering unprecedented optical performance, including ultra-low latency and loss across a wide wavelength range. PICs shrink complex optical systems down to the chip-scale, enabling more compact, efficient, and performant devices, that would potentially be impossible otherwise.

By integrating HCFs with PICs, we aim to leverage the benefits of both to create a revolutionary new photonics platform capable of enabling new applications and dramatically enhancing current ones. Potential applications include:

• long-distance quantum entanglement distribution
• scalable quantum computing
• visible-light communication
• advanced (mid-IR) gas sensing

Your project will explore the challenge of integrating these technologies and will involve both experimental and simulation work. You’ll tackle problems in optical design device and fibre fabrication, and system performance, and join the world-class team at the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) and CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre (CPIC), who will train you and support your research.

The ORC has over 200 researchers, with a large and diverse PhD student community and has been at the forefront of optoelectronics for over 50 years. CPIC, who will fund the project, is the UK’s technology hub for silicon photonics with a mission to build a silicon photonics pipeline for industry by 2030.

During your PhD you will receive training and support from the world-class teams employed at the Optoelectronics Research Centre and CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre, enabling your ground-breaking research work, kick-starting your career in photonics, and affording you a clear career pathway into photonics and related fields.

Entry requirements

You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.

If you have a background in physics, engineering, materials science, or a related discipline, and a passion for science and innovation, then this project is your gateway to shaping the future of optical technology.

Fees and funding

This project will be funded by CORNERSTONE Photonics Innovation Centre (CPIC), which is the UK’s technology hub for silicon photonics with a mission to build a silicon photonics pipeline for industry by 2030.

Full scholarships include tuition fees, a stipend at the UKRI rate plus 10% ORC enhancement tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years (totalling £22,858 for 2025/26, rising annually) and a budget of £4200 for things like conference travel. For UK nationals and students from EU and Horizon Europe-associated countries are eligible for scholarships. Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) students are eligible for fee waivers.

Funding for other international applicants is very limited and highly competitive. Overseas students who have secured or are seeking external funding are welcome to apply.

For more information, please visit our postgraduate research funding pages.

How to apply

Apply now

You need to:

• choose programme type (Research), 2026/27, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• select Full time or Part time
• search for programme PhD ORC (7097)
• add name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application

Applications should include:

• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts and certificates to date
• English language qualification (if applicable)