PhD Studentship: Wideband Fiber Optical Parametric Amplifiers for Space Division Multiplexing Technology

PhD Supervisor: Massimiliano Guasoni

Supervisory Team: Massimiliano Guasoni, Lin Xu, David Richardson

Project description

1. Project description

Space Division Multiplexing (SDM) has recently emerged as a promising breakthrough technology to boost the data transmission speed of the Internet network to unprecedented levels. In SDM each spatial mode of an optical fiber carries an independent data channel, so that exploiting for example 10 modes can increase the data transmission speed up to 10 times. However, in order to move from a pure academic research to a fully exploitable commercial technology, SDM requires the development of novel devices that must be urgently addressed. The most important are multimode optical amplifiers, capable of amplifying simultaneously several different spatial modes. We aim at developing a novel idea of fiber optical multimode parametric amplification where four-wave-mixing between different fiber modes is exploited to amplify several modes in a wide bandwidth covering the main telecom windows (C+L bands). This is done through the design of novel optical fibers having special refractive-index profile.

2. PhD Programme

You will work at the Optoelectronics Research Centre of the University of Southampton, in the Multimode Photonics Group led by Dr. Massimiliano Guasoni.

You will acquire a broad set of skills: from the theoretical understanding of light propagation in optical fibres, up to the numerical design of fibre amplifiers via computational tools and experiments carried out on multimode fibres fabricated in the cleanrooms of the University of Southampton.

You will have access to some among the best equipped laboratories and nanofabrication research facilities in the world (£ 120M worth), and to one of the most powerful supercomputers in UK.

You will directly interact on a daily basis with world-leading scientists at the ORC that are revolutionizing the field of photonics, and you will have the opportunity to engage with several ORC industrial partners to increase the impact of your work.

Furthermore, you will present your work both in leading academic journals and in oral presentations at the most renowned conferences all over the world, which will allow you to engage with and learn from the best researchers worldwide.

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.

The start date will typically be late September, but other dates are possible.

Funding

For UK students, tuition fees and a stipend at the UKRI rate plus £2,000 ORC enhancement tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years (totalling around £21,000 for 2024/25, rising annually). EU and Horizon Europe students are eligible for scholarships. CSC students are eligible for fee waivers. Funding for other international applicants is very limited and highly competitive. Overseas students who have secured or are seeking external funding are welcome to apply.

How To Apply

Apply online: Search for a Postgraduate Programme of Study (soton.ac.uk). Select programme type (Research), Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, next page select “PhD ORC”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor.

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Two reference letters
• Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

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

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