Ultrafast light sources for advanced metrology and spectroscopy based on hollow-core fibers (EPSRC/DLA)

About the Project

This fully funded 3.5 years PhD project aims to validate and improve a new generation of light sources based on the most recent hollow-core fibers filled with gases to generate tailored photons fluxes in the ultraviolet and visible range to interrogate and characterise nature at its limits, create ultrafast movies of chemical reactions via time-resolved spectroscopy, and to improve sensitivity and understand the best materials and fabrication method in few key industrial applications.

The PhD candidate will benefit from a competitive and fully funded scholarship via the EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (DLA), including relocation funds, and a generous and dedicated budget for both the research program and the PhD candidate's skills development, including travel to national and international collaborators, as well as attendance at technical conferences.

The primary research aim is to advance the current generation of light sources and utilise them in relevant experimental conditions to test new materials and techniques, thereby improving semiconductor metrology, laser-assisted manufacturing, and photoelectron-based spectroscopy. The candidate will gain strong and unique expertise in light-matter interaction in gas-filled hollow-core fibres and will be able to design and implement a tunable light source in collaboration with group members at the Laboratory of Ultrafast Optics and Physics ( http://lupo-lab.com ) in the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Science in Edinburgh.

The PhD project involves hands-on experimental work on state-of-the-art light sources. It may also utilise numerical simulation tools to model and advance the generation, striking a flexible balance between experimental and numerical work. This is a unique opportunity to join a start-up project within a well-established and leading research group in ultrafast optics. Since 2016, the LUPO group has steadily grown to a total of 16 members, benefiting from a rich network of scientific collaborators worldwide (US, Canada, Italy, Germany, France, and the Netherlands), as well as strong cooperation and links with leading industrial partners in photonics and semiconductor metrology.

Prior experimental or numerical expertise is optional. A good command of English, hands-on experience with ultrafast lasers or spectroscopy, as well as a genuine interest in nonlinear optics and light sources, will be considered favourably. Candidates with a good attitude towards research, a genuine interest, and a background in physics and/or engineering who are willing to pursue a PhD in photonics are very welcome.

Interviews will begin as soon as possible and will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants must have, or expect to have, a first-class degree or equivalent in physics or engineering and be motivated to pursue a 3.5-year studentship.

*I encourage candidates from different scientific backgrounds with an interest in optics and photonics and experience in different laboratory environments to get in touch with f.belli@hw.ac.uk.*

Heriot-Watt’s Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPaQS) is a modern and leading Institute for Photonics, embedded within a large and green campus, with sports and recreational facilities in Edinburgh, one of the best cities to live in the world. A wide range of companies and start-ups in the broad fields of photonics and robotics are directly on campus, with fast transport links. Please contact us as soon as possible.

Funding Notes

Fully funded 3.5 years with EPSRC/DLA salary, access to state-of-the-art experimental facility and LUPO group expertise, dedicated budget for research and for attending conferences/workshops. Relocation funds and additional top-up pays will be discussed in person and on a case-by-case basis

References

Nature Photonics 13 (8), 547-554 (2019)
Optics Letters 44 (22), 5509-5512 (2019)
Optica 2 (4), 292-300 (2015)
Nature Communications 13, 3536 (2022)