PhD Studentship in Electronic Engineering

University of Nottingham

Area: Engineering

Location: UK

Closing Date: Monday, 17 November 2025

Reference: ENG280

Project Overview

The Optics and Photonics Research Group (OPG) at the University of Nottingham invites applications for a PhD studentship on AI-driven design of ultrathin metamaterial lenses for compact imaging systems. The project will be supervised by Dr. Mitchell Kenney alongside collaborators within OPG and the Life Sciences department.

With the rise of smartphones and portable imaging, there is a growing need for smarter, more compact imaging devices across biomedical, life-sciences, VR/AR, quantum technology, and computational imaging applications. Traditional optical systems are often bulky and limited in capability.

This project will explore flat metamaterial optics—artificial materials structured at the nanoscale that manipulate light intelligently and can be fabricated with microelectronics-compatible techniques. Using their enhanced functionality, the project aims to develop novel computational imaging and sensing techniques for next-generation compact imaging systems.

Student Experience and Skills

The successful candidate will gain hands-on experience in:

• Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning for optical design
• Nanofabrication and metamaterial design
• Computational modelling and algorithmic coding
• Optical setup construction and testing in visible light systems
• Using commercial electromagnetic simulation software to test designs

Collaborators on the project include Prof. Melissa Mather, Prof. Dmitri Veprintsev, and Dr. Sendy Phang.

Entry Requirements

• A high (1st or 2:1) honours degree in Physics, Electrical, or Electronic Engineering
• UK or home student status

Studentship Details:

• Duration: 3 years
• Covers tuition fees and stipend

For enquiries about the project, please contact Dr. Mitchell Kenney at: ezzmgk@nottingham.ac.uk

References

1. L. Huang, S. Zhang, T. Zentgraf, “Metasurface holography: from fundamentals to applications,” Nanophotonics 7, 1169 (2018).
2. X. Zou, G. Zheng, Q. Yuan, et al., “Imaging Based on Metalenses,” PhotoniX 1 (2020).
3. M. Kenney, J. Grant, et al., “Large area metasurface lenses in the NIR region,” Modeling Aspects in Optical Metrology VII, SPIE (June 2019).

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