About the project
This project aims to investigate the design and wafer-scale fabrication of large area metaoptics for imaging and sensing. It combines advanced design with fabrication using our state-of-the-art cleanroom and optical experiments in a world-leading research laboratory.
Metaoptics, the application of metasurface concepts in optical systems, is a rapidly growing field that has the potential to revolutionise a wide range of applications, such as sensing, imaging, and telecommunications. However, the design and manufacturing of high precision, large-area metaoptic components remains a challenge due to the difficulties in achieving high precision accuracy over a large diameter.
Recently our team has made first steps in producing high quality metalenses using the deep-UV (DUV) scanner lithography tool available in the University of Southampton’s cleanroom.
The scope of this PhD research is to advance the design and fabrication of metaoptics in the near- and mid-infrared range making use of state of the art capabilities in design of metasurfaces and their integration into optical systems.
The project will explore the design of metasurfaces through both commercial and custom-built (e.g. deep learning) software. Experimentally, we will fabricate metasurface optics using advanced full-wafer fabrication tools such as Southampton’s Deep-UV lithography (the only such system available in the UK’s academic research community) and our new 200 kV electron beam lithography system (the only such system currently installed in UK and Europe).
During the PhD research you will receive training and will develop strong expertise in fabrication of devices using one of the leading research cleanroom facilities in the UK.
Applications are invited for a postgraduate researcher to join this new activity taking place in the Quantum, Light and Matter group at the University of Southampton. We are looking for highly motivated applicants with interest in the topic of metasurfaces and an affinity for experimental optics research, involving numerical design, nanofabrication using the University’s cleanroom facilities, and optical studies.
The School of Physics & Astronomy is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
