Active Colloidal-Quantum-Dot Light Emitting Devices: QD Laser and QD LEDs

Realization of electrically pumped lighting and lasing with colloidal quantum dots will have a revolutionary impact on many disciplines including display, photonics, optical communication, chemical sensing, and medical diagnostics. Due to broadly tunable emission wavelengths and facile particle size-control and viable processability, colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are promising materials for attaining these goals. In this PhD project, we will use non-toxic QDs (InP/ZnS or CuInZnS3) with specially engineered structures to demonstrate LED and Laser devices that can be implemented into various applications such as optical communication, display or lighting.
Moreover, this project will also evolve different types of photonics or optics engineering. For instance, we will make QD LEDs that can be operated as both a light source and an optically pumped laser. Such photonics structures feature a distributed feedback resonator integrated into a bottom LED electrode, which can help us to obtain good confinement of a waveguided mode within the QD medium as well as demonstrate low-threshold lasing even with an ultrathin (about three QD monolayers) active layer. Through this project, the students will be well trained in the state-of-the-art solution-processed optoelectronics as well as fundamental laser physics.

Start date: April, July or October 2021. 4 years Full Time.

How to Apply:

Applicants should submit an application for postgraduate study via the Cardiff University webpages (https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/programmes/programme/physics-and-astronomy) including:

• an upload of your CV
• a personal statement/covering letter
• two references
• Current academic transcripts

Applicants should select Doctor of Philosophy, with a start date of April, July or October 2021.

In the research proposal section of your application, please specify the project title and supervisors of this project and copy the project description in the text box provided. In the funding section, please select the ’self -funding’ option.

Candidates should hold a good bachelor’s degree (first or upper second-class honours degree) or a MSc degree in Physics or a related subject.

Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent).