"PhD Students for TRADES Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network in Grating Waveguide Structures"

The University of Southampton is committed to excellence in all we do, applying our insights and inventiveness to solve the most complex societal and environmental challenges. As a world-leading, research-intensive university, with a strong and high-quality educational offering, we are renowned for our innovation and enterprise and are within the top 1% of universities worldwide.

Novel dispersive photonic devices are opening incredible possibilities for efficient lasers and light manipulation. We’re looking for two passionate PhD students to join a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action doctoral training network–Training & Research in Advanced Dispersion Engineered grating-waveguide Structures (TRADES)–and push the boundaries of what’s possible with nanofabrication technology.

Nanofabrication covers ground-breaking techniques to structure materials at dimensions smaller than the wavelength of visible light, enabling new light-matter interactions via a metasurface structure coupled to a waveguide, often called Grating Waveguide Structures (GWS). By advancing our understanding and development of scalable nanofabrication processes on a crystalline platform, you’ll be at the forefront of creating the next generation of advanced optical components enabling novel laser systems for future photonics applications.

What You’ll Do:

• innovate: develop scalable nanofabrication processes to fabricate novel dispersive grating waveguide structures
• collaborate: work with a dynamic team and engage in interdisciplinary research
• experiment: gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge cleanroom and physical-vapour-deposition fabrication techniques, lasers, and honing your practical skills
• explore: help develop a deeper understanding of high-fidelity GWS fabrication across dimensional scales differing by 1-million times.

We’re seeking two enthusiastic and capable doctoral candidates who are eager to dive into cleanroom/laboratory work and learn new practical skills for a foundation underpinning a career in photonics. You’ll have a solid grounding in physical sciences with an eagerness to understand and solve critical challenges. The projects involve developing functional advanced materials for new optical components and innovative-lasers applications.

In these projects you'll have access to:

• state-of-the-art facilities: access to top-tier resources, cleanrooms, and materials-characterisation suites
• interdisciplinary research: collaborate with experts within the university and beyond
• international collaboration: work closely within a cohort of 15 students hosted across Europe working towards a common project goal, including 3-months of placement visits.

At the time of recruitment (i.e. first date of employment), you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc…) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to recruitment under this project. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays are not taken into account. At the time of recruitment, you must not yet have been awarded your doctorate.

In order to be considered for these posts, please also complete the postgraduate application process for the desired post below:

• GWS for high power lasers
• Dielectric all-crystalline GWS

You should be able to start in September 2026 or soon thereafter.

For informal enquiries, please write to Dr Jacob Mackenzie (jim@soton.ac.uk).