PhD Studentship: Communication Applications of Hollow-Core Fibres

Project title: Communication applications of hollow-core fibres  

Supervisory Team: Periklis Petropoulos; David J Richardson

Project description

This is an opportunity to carry out a PhD at the Communications Systems Lab of the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC). The group has been at the forefront of optical fibre communications since the very earliest days of the field providing several critical contributions, including the invention of the erbium doped fibre amplifier – a device that eliminated fibre loss as the fundamental limiting factor to signal transmission and which is installed in all modern optical communication networks. Optical communications remains by far the largest market for photonics and as such it represents one of the ORC’s primary research areas.

The ORC pioneers research on hollow-core optical fibres exhibiting characteristics that enable disruptive applications in several application fields. This PhD project will study the development and use of state-of-the-art hollow core optical fibres for both telecomm and datacomm applications. The research will include work concerned with 5G back-haul and datacentres as well as long-haul transmission and will look to exploit the many distinctive and enabling characteristics of these new fibres – including ultralow nonlinearity, low latency, high environmental stability, ultra-broadband operation, and ultimately the potential for ultralow propagation losses at different wavebands. Of particular interest is the transmission of heterogeneous signals through the fibre, which add functionality and intelligence to the optical network.

The project capitalises on the long tradition of the ORC as a leading research centre for optical fibre technologies. It is supported with substantial funding from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the AirGuide Photonics Programme Grant, as well as a new £12M project aiming at tackling challenges towards future open networks. It is a highly experimental project based on the state-of-the-art telecommunications systems laboratory of the ORC. The successful candidate will join a team of around 20 researchers focussing on the field of hollow core fibres at Southampton, and will be required to work in collaboration both with colleagues responsible for fibre fabrication as well as an array of industrial and academic collaborators.

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Professor Periklis Petropoulos, Optical fibre Communications Research Group, Email: pp@orc.soton.ac.uk

Entry Requirements

A very 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 per annum 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 Periklis Petropoulos

Applications should include:

1. Research Proposal
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Two reference letters
4. Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

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

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