PhD Studentship: Development of High-Data-Rate Quantum Gravity Sensors (with Toyota Motor Europe)

Project Title: Development of High-Data-Rate Quantum Gravity Sensors (with Toyota Motor Europe)

Project Description:

The University of Birmingham, in partnership with Toyota Motor Europe, is offering a PhD position for developing a high-data-rate quantum gravimeter for gravity map-matching navigation and other applications.

Quantum gravity sensors have manifested their exceptional stability and precision for fundamental physics research and also different disciplines, including geoscience and civic engineering. More recently, people started exploring the potential of quantum gravity sensors in more dynamic settings such as marine and airborne environments. One particular application is gravity map-matching navigation.

Satellite navigation (Satnav) soon became very popular after it was open to civilian use in the late 1980s. Other technologies, including inertial and map-matching navigations, still receive substantial attention because of Satnav weaknesses, e.g. the satellite signal reception in difficult terrain, proneness to interference and spoofing. Nevertheless, drifts of inertial sensors severely hamper the accuracy of inertial navigation. The gravity map-matching technology assists inertial navigation systems to curb the drift issue by constantly tracking the gravity variation along the vehicle trajectory and comparing it with a gravity map.

The successful candidate will work on the construction of a high-data-rate mobile quantum gravimeter based on an existing lab prototype. He/she will also involve in the design process of instrument miniaturisation. He/she will evaluate the performance and systematic errors of the gravity sensor and conclude the project with field trials.

Start date of the studentship: September 2023

Duration of the PhD: 4 years

General Eligibility requirements:

• An undergraduate degree in Physics, Material Science, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or other related disciplines, with at least 2(i) honours or equivalent.
• An interest in interdisciplinary sciences and engineering, with an enthusiasm for communication.
• Evidenced mathematical ability.
• No prior knowledge of topology or topological physics is required.

Additional information:

The prospective candidates are expected to enjoy hands-on experiences. Background/interest in cold atom physics and quantum optics will be an advantage. Experiences and skills in electronics and Python programming language are desirable but not essential.

Advert information