High Power Laser Development
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Where you'll be based: University of Liverpool
More information and apply here: High Power Laser Development - University of Liverpool
The main objectives of this project are:
- Investigation of current systems, and how we can improve the performance levels to make a difference in the field.
- Research into optical fibre lasers and how we can combine the output to create one beam using polarisation.
- Development of innovative systems and methods at the forefront of laser technologies.
Pulsed Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Effects Measurement and Mechanisms
Deadline: 7th March 2025
Where you'll be based: De Montfort University
More information and apply here: Pulsed Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Effects Measurement and Mechanisms | DMU
The main objectives of this project are:
- Investigation of the effects of pulsed RF fields on electronic systems, specifically the characteristics of RF signals and the underlying circuit vulnerabilities and system architectures of the electronic systems. We will also be looking at the impact of the materials, size and construction of the circuits on the consequences RF fields can have.
- Measurement of the effects of pulsed RF fields on the operation of electronic circuits. The outcomes will optimise exploration of the pulse parameter space, using these measurements to improve understanding of the underlying effects mechanisms and root-causes at silicon, component, and sub-system level, and identify effect test and monitoring methods at a range of levels, from component to platform level.
High Voltage, High Repetition Rate Pulse Generation
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Where you'll be based: University of Bristol
More information and apply here: High Voltage, High Repetition Rate Pulse Generation | University of Bristol
The main objectives of this project are:
- Investigation of existing and novel methods of solid-state pulse generation
- Research into novel semiconductor devices suited to high-voltage pulse generation
- Development of power conversion circuits optimised to drive existing and novel semiconductor devices, to generate appropriate pulses with high efficiency
- Measurement of semiconductor device characteristics and performance of prototype pulse generator circuits
Relativistic Plasma Optics for Ultraintense Structured Light Generation
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Where you'll be based: University of Strathclyde
More information and apply here: Relativistic Plasma Optics for Ultraintense Structured light Generation | University of Strathclyde
The main objectives of this project are:
- Developing and testing plasma-based techniques to generate ultraintense light beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM).
- Investigating the interaction between plasma dynamics and structured light to optimise beam quality and stability.
- Employing machine learning to model, control and optimise the complex processes underpinning plasma-optics interactions.
- Collaborating with leading laser facilities to implement and validate novel plasma-optics systems.
Power-Dense Power Electronic Conversion Technologies for Laser Energy Transfer Systems
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Where you'll be based: University of Strathclyde
More information and apply here: Power-Dense Power Electronic Conversion Technologies | University of Strathclyde
The main objectives of this project are:
- Investigation of DC-DC power electronic converters and the current capability.
- Research into how we can improve the current state of the art technologies, ensuring to balance conflicting requirements such as efficiency and stability.
- Development of ground-breaking technologies in electronic converters, using both simulations and practical tests to validate the effectiveness.
Design & Development of Future Generation Laser Beam Combining Modules
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Where you'll be based: Heriot-Watt University
More information and apply here: Design & Development of Future Generation Laser Beam Combining Modules | Heriot-Watt University
The studentship will focus on Coherent Beam Combination (CBC), which is a modern optical technology enabling multiple single-mode fibre lasers to be spatially tiled or stacked in the near-field, and combined in the far-field at an intended target. The current state-of-the-art laser beam combining modules utilise freeform monolithic array optics in a solution that delivers scaled output power with high efficiency and brightness, in a robust compact module that has size, weight and power factors unattainable using conventional optics.
Ultrafast Laser Inscription for Novel High-power Fibre Laser Components
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Where you'll be based: Heriot-Watt University
More information and apply here: Ultrafast Laser Inscription for Novel High-Power Fibre Laser Components at Heriot-Watt University on FindAPhD.com
The main objectives of this project are:
- Development of laser-based glass microfabrication techniques utilising ultrashort pulsed lasers and selective chemical etching.
- Research into novel optical fibre manufacturing processes for applications in high-power fibre lasers.
- Design, fabrication and testing of robust glass optical fibres and components such as low-loss pump combiners and cladding mode strippers for integration in defence and security systems.
Developing a deterministic prediction of the specular component of reflections from an evolving melting surface due to high energy laser irradiation
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Where you'll be based: University of Manchester
More information and apply here: Developing a deterministic prediction of the specular component of reflections from an evolving melting surface due to high energy laser irradiation at The University of Manchester on FindAPhD.com
The main objectives of this project are:
- Utilisation of state-of-the-art mathematical and numerical descriptions of laser-substrate interactions, including ray-tracing approaches, to understand how laser-beams are reflected from substrates with complex topology that evolves in a highly transient manner
- Determination of fundamental laser behaviour at the substrate-interface to quantify penetration behaviour and laser reflection characteristics
Investigation of the Propagation of Laser Beams with non-Gaussian spatial and phase profiles through turbulent atmospheres and obscuration
Deadline: 21st February 2025
Where you'll be based: Imperial College London
More information and apply here: Investigation of the propagation of laser beams with non-Gaussian spatial and phase profiles through turbulent atmospheres and obscuration. at Imperial College London on FindAPhD.com
The main objectives of this project are:
- Investigation of what benefits and opportunities arise from the use of structured spatial beam profiles and particularly in relation to their resilient against distortion through atmospheric turbulence.
- Research will be made into:
- practical generation methods of various types of vortex light (that carries orbital angular momentum) and other structured light patterns;
- computation methods for simulation of light propagation though turbulence;
- experimental test-bed(s) will be made for experimental measurement of propagation through turbulence, and options exist for outdoor field-trials.
Understanding and compensating turbulence for free space energy transfer
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Where you'll be based: Durham University
More information and apply here: PhD Studentship in “Understanding and compensating turbulence for free space energy transfer” at Durham University on FindAPhD.com
The main objectives of this project are:
- Investigation of the effects of optical turbulence on energy transfer scenarios
- Research into alternative wavefront sensing and adaptive optics solutions
- Development of a laboratory demonstrator to test the chosen solutions
Development of new particle in cell capability for high energy density materials
Deadline: 31st March 2025
Where you'll be based: Imperial College London
More information and apply here: Development of new particle in cell capability for high energy density materials | Imperial
The main objectives of this project are:
- Investigation of the physics of intense particle beams generated using pulsed power systems or intense lasers and the effects of these intense particle fluxes on a background material.
- Development of a new particle in cell code utilising advanced implicit methods for exact energy and charge conservation which enable longer physical timescales to be simulated. The model will also be built with the ability to utilise GPU computing architecture to enable massively parallel, large-scale computing
Heterogeneous integration of SiN and GaAs for LiDAR systems
Deadline: 31st August 2025
Where you'll be based: University of Southampton
More information and apply here: Heterogeneous integration of SiN and GaAs for LiDAR systems | University of Southampton
The work will focus on device simulation and design followed by process development and fabrication using University cleanroom facility. Device characterisation will be performed in our state-of-the-art silicon photonics laboratory and in collaboration with the industry partner, QinetiQ.