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

Project	Supervisor
Spectroscopy & Dynamics of Atmospherically Relevant Molecules in the Time and Frequency Domains	Dr Dave Townsend
Quantum Networking	Dr Alessandro Fedrizzi
Industrial CASE PhD Studentship - Process fundamentals for the additive manufacture (3D printing) of metals	Prof. A. J. Moore
Finite element (FE) modelling of the additive manufacture (3D printing) of metals	Prof. A. J. Moore
Designer two-dimensional heterostructures for quantum photonics	Prof. Brian Gerardot
Semiconductor devices for quantum networking	Dr Cristian Bonato
Photoelectron Circular Dichroism as a Chiral Probe	Dr Dave Townsend
Time-Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy using Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal Fibres	Dr Dave Townsend
Miniature femtosecond laser frequency combs for astrophotonics and quantum metrology	Prof. Derryck Reid
3D printing of micro-scale graded shape memory components for in-vivo actuated medical devices	Prof. Duncan Hand
Theoretical PhD project on quantum communication and quantum information	Prof. Erika Andersson
Quantum-Enhanced Imaging in Extreme Environments	Prof. Gerald Buller
Next Generation Components for Quantum Communication	Prof. Gerald Buller
Quantum Image Teleportation with Entangled Light Sources	Dr Jonathan Leach
Ultrafast lasers for surgical applications	Dr Jon Shephard
Laser controlled nanoparticle deposition	Dr Jon Shephard
New optical components and devices from micro-structured fibres	Dr Jon Shephard
Ultra-nonlinear epsilon-near-zero flat optics	Dr. Marcello Ferrera
Index-near-zero-embedded optical resonators	Dr Marcello Ferrera
New insights into the ultrafast optical physics of quantum-confined semiconductors	Dr Maria Ana Cataluna
Extreme physics of ultrafast semiconductor lasers	Dr Maria Ana Cataluna
Quantum Communication beyond Qubits	Dr Mehul Malik
Quantum Information Processing with Complex Scattering Media	Dr Mehul Malik
Integrated nonlinear photonics	Dr Mohammed F. Saleh
3D laser beam shaping	Dr Xianzhong Chen
Developing new concepts and novel optical devices	Dr Xianzhong Chen
Laser machining of ceramics for medical ultrasound applications	Prof. Duncan Hand
Novel PLATFORMS FOR INTEGRATED QUANTUM DEVICES based on rare-earth doped insulating materials	Dr Margherita Mazzera
Modelling of tailored parametric processes in nonlinear crystals	Dr Richard McCracken
Pulsed lasers for wavelength versatile microscopy	Dr Richard McCracken

General Opportunities

Most of the projects in the list above are identified as potentially having EPSRC DTA studentship support, which is restricted to UK resident students only. Typically we award around 10 such studentships annually. 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:

• Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) Prize Studentships:  These are prestigious and competitive awards that are intended to attract outstanding students from around the world. Please visit the SUPA website for further information. SUPA opens a single door into all Physics PhDs in Scotland. When you apply for a SUPA PhD Studentship, you will also be considered for all other funded places available in Physics departments in Scotland. To apply please visit the SUPA application webpage.
• Scottish Doctoral Training Centre in Condensed Matter: Fully funded PhD studentships are available in Condensed Matter research. For further information please visit the Condensed Matter DTC website.
• 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. James Watt scholarships provide £15,000 per annum for a maximum of three years. Start-up and DTP scholarships provide £14,553 per year. 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: Dr Jonathan Leach, Director of Postgraduate Studies, tel +44 (0) 131 451 4174, e-mail J.Leach@hw.ac.uk