IPaQS PhD Studentships
Opportunities leading to a PhD degree are available within the various research groups. The Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences has over 80 postgraduate PhD students. To enter our PhD programme you require an upper-second or first class MPhys/MSci/MEng degree, or a good performance at Masters level, in Physics, Engineering or a suitable related subject. Only under exceptional circumstances will BSc-only graduates be considered for the PhD programme.
The typical period of study for a PhD is 3½-years full-time or 4-6-years part-time. Part-time students can be based in another organisation, provided that appropriate research and supervision arrangements can be made. Postgraduate work experience will also be taken into account when assessing applications.
We have a number of studentships available each year funded by EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) for home students. Postgraduate students are encouraged to contribute to the teaching activities of the School, both for the experience and as a method of earning some additional income.
Overseas applicants should check the University’s entry standards for English language skills.
Up to three University Scholarships may be available for outstanding overseas students each year. Entry qualifications for non-UK students are determined on an individual basis.
Current PhD and EngD opportunities
- 2D materials and meta-materials in the quantum regime
- A novel approach to manufacturing lasers using ultrafast laser welding
- Additive manufacturing (3D printing) of metals (Renishaw industrial CASE studentship)
- Advanced endoscopic imaging modalities
- An artificial atom in a two-dimensional semiconductor
- Compact Visible Frequency Combs The Missing Link In A Vision Of Pervasive Quantum Timekeeping
- Controlling spins in diamond and silicon carbide devices
- Creation and application of ultra-high rate photonic quantum bytes
- Depth imaging using single-photons
- Doped Silicon as a Quantum Physics Test-bed
- Experimental PhD project in quantum digital signatures and quantum amplifiers
- Filming light at a trillion frames per second
- Fluids, superfluids and artificial black holes made of light
- Frequency-comb metrology for manufacturing: Diode-pumped Ti:sapphire frequency combs for precision distance metrology
- Gravitational and quantum field theory analogues in nonlinear optics
- Harnessing Quantum Mechanics to Create Improved Solar Cells
- Harvesting Light beyond Classical Limits
- High quality, high speed engraving using high average power nanosecond pulsed fibre lasers
- Hybrid Quantum Technology: Coherently Interfacing Condensed Matter Systems with Light
- Integrated Lithium Niobate Quantum Devices
- LAkHsMI: Large Scale Hydrodynamic Imagining in the Ocean From An Artificial Lateral Line
- Laser post-processing of metal additively manufactured (3D printed) parts
- Low-cost nanofabrication for unusual optical devices
- Measuring stress-induced birefringence at THz frequencies
- New physics of 2D materials with Dirac-like dispersion
- Novel Condensed Matter Systems with Cold Atoms
- Novel high brightness direct diode laser sources and their use in powder bed additive layer manufacturing
- Novel high-brightness diode lasers
- Novel MCF functional components for optical communication and sensing applications
- Novel real time imaging system
- On-chip near-zero-index photonics
- Open Quantum Systems
- Optical code based high speed secure optical Communication system
- Optical metasurfaces rewrite the rule of optical design
- Photon Fluids and Photon Condensation
- Plastic semiconductor physics
- Probing the Quantum Nature of the Avian Compass
- Quantum Communications: Quantum digital signatures and quantum amplifiers
- Quantum Digital Signatures
- Quantum Enhanced Imaging
- Quantum information science
- Quantum Simulations with Superconducting Circuits
- Quantum Superpositions of Mechanical Oscillators
- Quantum technologies with an ideal source of indistinguishable single photons
- Silicon Carbide Quantum Sensing Devices
- Single-Photon and Quantum Enhanced Imaging
- Theoretical PhD project on nonlinear optics in microstructures
- Theoretical PhD project on quantum communication and quantum information
- Towards Quantum Information Technologies with condensed matter systems
- Ultra-compact solid-state laser systems
- Ultrafast nonlinear optics in gas-filled fibres
- Ultra-short pulse laser forming of opto-mechanical components
- Ultrashort pulsed laser welding of optical materials to metals and ceramics
- Wide-mode-spacing broadband laser frequency combs for astronomy
- Wide-mode-spacing broadband optical parametric oscillator frequency combs
General Opportunities
Most of the projects in the list above are identified as potentially having EPSRC studentship support, which is restricted to UK resident students only. Although the usual start date is in October, we can take students at other times of year.
The projects could equally run with students supported by other means, which in many cases have no nationality restrictions. However, the number of studentships in this case is very limited and the competition is high. The studentships available include:
- Centre for Doctoral Training in Applied Photonics: Successful candidates will have their fees paid and receive an annual stipend. For company employees who study the EngD, the funding arrangement is different, as the company continues to pay the salary of the employee and the company contributes financially to the input given by the Centre and Academic Supervisor. For more information please visit the Centre for Doctoral Training in Applied Photonics website.
- EPS Scholarships: These are University awards providing full university postgraduate fees and a contribution to maintenance costs. These scholarships provide a minimum of £20,780 per year (25/26). For further information please see: list of EPS scholarship projects.
- Partial Scholarships The scholarships provide full fees and a contribution towards maintenance for up to three years. Please also visit our scholarships pages.
- Fees Only Scholarships: These scholarships provide full fees for up to three years. Further information can also be found on our scholarship pages.
Note that each studentship award scheme may have different closing dates and you should check carefully the websites before you submit an application. In addition, there may be EPSRC project studentships available in the Department, which can support UK, EU or possibly Overseas students. Some of the projects may be advertised on the Find a PhD website.
Contact: Prof. Jonathan Leach, Postgraduate Research Co-ordinator, tel +44 (0) 131 451 4174, e-mail J.Leach@hw.ac.uk
Key information
Jonathan Leach
- Professor
- j.leach@hw.ac.uk
EPS Postgraduate Research Office
- +44 (0) 131 451 3027 or +44 (0) 131 451 4559
- pgr.eps@hw.ac.uk