PhD Studentship: Laser Propulsion in Hollow Core Fibres

Supervisory Team:    Dr. Hans Christian Mulvad, Prof. Francesco Poletti and Prof. David Richardson

Project description

In this project, the radiation pressure of laser light will be explored to levitate, guide and accelerate particles within hollow core fibres (HCFs), aiming at new opportunities in both radioactive sensing and hypervelocity particle acceleration.

The trapping and guidance of microscopic particles using the radiation pressure of light has been well known since the pioneering work of A. Ashkin in the 1970’s, which has led to several important applications including optical tweezers in biology. In free space, the guiding range is typically limited to micrometre length scales due the divergence of the trapping laser beam. In HCFs on the other hand, the laser beam remains tightly confined within the hollow core, and with recent progress in developing record-low loss HCFs at the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), it has become possible to guide and precisely position microscopic particles within kilometre-long fibres. This will allow the demonstration of “flying particle sensors” to achieve the remote detection of physical quantities such as electromagnetic fields or ionising radiation [1]. As opposed to normal glass-core fibres which are prone to radiation-induced damage, HCFs also have the unique advantage of radiation-hardness. Hence, HCF may represent an innovative solution for remote sensing in highly radioactive environments. Particle acceleration is another research direction in this project, combining the radiation pressure from high-power lasers and the long HCF acceleration lengths to potentially achieve hypervelocity particle propulsion. This work will explore the unique capability of hollow core fibres for kilowatt-class laser power transmission over kilometre-range distances, as recently demonstrated at the ORC [2].

The project will be mainly experimental but will also include some numerical modelling to support the work. The project work will take place across several research groups, covering state-of-the-art high-power laser facilities and world-leading hollow-core fibre fabrication, allowing the candidate to collaborate with experienced researchers in both fields to achieve the project objectives.

For more details, please contact Dr. Hans Christian Mulvad, Prof. Francesco Poletti or Prof. David Richardson (https://www.orc.soton.ac.uk/advanced-fibre-technologies-and-applications).

[1] D. Bykov et al. Flying particle sensors in hollow-core photonic crystal fibre. Nature Photonics 9, 461–465 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2015.94

[2] H.C.H. Mulvad et al. Kilowatt-average-power single-mode laser light transmission over kilometre-scale hollow-core fibre. Nature Photonics 16, 448–453 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-022-01000-3

Entry Requirements

A good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing date: Applications are accepted throughout the year and several start dates throughout the year are possible. Applications for the typical Sept./Oct. 2023 start should be received no later than 31 August 2023.

Funding: For UK students, Tuition Fees and a stipend of £20,000 tax-free p.a. for up to 3.5 years.

How To Apply

Apply online: PhD Application | Research | University of Southampton. Select programme type (Research), 2023/24, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, next page select “PhD ORC (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Dr. Hans Christian Mulvad

Applications should include:

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

Advert information