PhD Project – Engineering - High Power and Narrow Linewidth Semiconductor Lasers for Atomic Clocks

Start Date: 01/09/2014

This position will be advertised until a suitable candidate is found. You should therefore submit your application as soon as possible rather than waiting until the deadline.

The School of Engineering of the University of Glasgow is seeking a highly motivated graduate to undertake an exciting 3.5-year PhD project entitled “High power and narrow linewidth semiconductor lasers for atomic clocks” within the Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering Research Division. The proposed PhD studentship is funded by the DSTL 2014 programme in “Sensing and Navigation using Quantum 2.0 Technologies”.

Laser-cooled atoms are a key enabling technology for the development of ultra-precise quantum metrological devices and sensors.
Notable examples include atomic clocks with unprecedented accuracies better than 1 part in 1017, gravity and electromagnetic sensors. Although some of these devices are already commercial products, further miniaturisation is still necessary to reduce size, weight and energy consumption. Not only are these essential requirements for a wide deployment of these technologies but also for their integration into more complex systems.

Thanks to their compactness and high efficiency, semiconductor lasers became the optical source of choice for most atomic physics research involving atom-light interactions. One of the main limitations, however, is that most available commercial devices operating in the wavelength range 700-900 nm were developed for applications that do not require the accurate wavelength control and stability demanded by laser cooling. Moreover, most apparati still make use of “stand-alone” lasers that are coupled to photodetectors and modulators via bulky and unstable optical fibre or free-space couplers.

The project will exploit the unique potential for integration offered by semiconductor technology to monolithically integrate on the same chip most of these components, thereby offering a substantially more compact and cheaper setup with greater thermal stability. Laser devices to be developed include integrated grating geometries to improve the wavelength stability (1 W) of lasers operating at 780 nm (laser cooling of Rb) and 852 nm (laser cooling of Cs). Furthermore, the monolithic constructions will offer additional functionalities such as beam steering, on-chip amplitude and phase modulation, and integrated power
monitoring to provide a substantial reduction in form factor and complexity compared to current laser cooling systems.

This research will be supported by the state-of-the-art nanofabrication facilities available in the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre at Glasgow University (http://www.jwnc.gla.ac.uk/). The student will work closely with our partners at Birmingham University (Prof Kai Bongs) and Strathclyde University (Prof Erling Riis).

The post will suit somebody with a good first degree in Engineering, Physics or a related physical science wishing to conduct experimental research into integrated optoelectronics and semiconductor laser technology.

How to Apply: Please refer to the following website for details on how to apply:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/opportunities/howtoapplyforaresearchdegree/.

Supervisor(s): Dr Marc Sorel ([Email Address Removed])

For an informal discussion or for further information on this project, potential applicants are encouraged to contact: Dr Marc Sorel.