About the Project
About the Role
You’ll plan and deliver a number of technical activities to take our research to the next level. As we’re pushing boundaries all the time, we’ll expect you to acquire new knowledge to find solutions to advance our research. It’s your responsibility to share your learnings so that we all benefit, mentoring those with less experience than you. Equally, if commercial opportunities arise from your work, you’ll need to flag these – as this is how new products and services are born. The same can be said for developing partnerships to strengthen our capability. You’ll also act as an ambassador for our work externally and be willing to promote what we do. And, as an expert in your field, we’ll also seek your technical support for any bids we may be undertaking.
About You
There is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated early stage researcher (PhD student) to join NPL’s Time and Frequency group to work on microresonator-based optical frequency combs for optical clocks and on dual-comb spectroscopy. The position is funded by the European Commission via a Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network on microresonators based frequency combs (Project “MICROCOMB”, https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/218500_en.html).
This work will use ultra-high-Q microresonators, which enable the confinement of extremely high levels of optical power into tiny micron-scale volumes. This allows nonlinear optical effects to be observed at extremely low threshold powers, making microresonators ideal components for future generations of integrated photonic circuits. NPL has a cleanroom and advanced fabrication facilities for ultra-high-Q microresonators.
The skilled candidate will work on microresonator-based frequency comb systems for use in the next generation of optical clocks. Optical clocks are currently the most precise instruments for time measurements and will most likely replace caesium microwave clocks as the standard for the definition of the second within the next decade. Microresonator-based frequency combs are promising tools to enable precise readout of the next generation of compact and portable optical clocks.
The ideal candidate will be qualified in physics, electronic engineering or a related subject. The ideal candidate will have experience in research areas such as:
- photonics
- fiber optics
- laser physics
- microresonators
- nonlinear optics
- digital and analogue electronics
The candidate must not have been awarded a PhD at the time of their recruitment. The candidate will be typically enrolled in a PhD programme of one of NPLs University partners.
Mobility rules: The candidate must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the United Kingdom for more than 12 months in the last 3 years prior to recruitment.
The position includes a competitive salary. Exact salaries are based on MSCA ITN funding rules, including living allowance, mobility allowance and family allowance (according to eligibility).
The role will be based in Teddington, with occasional travelling to conferences and workshops.
About The Company
We’re transforming. As a national laboratory, we’re exploring even more commercial routes to market and that’s presenting us with greater opportunity – for you and us. Our success relies on the diversity and talent of our people, we strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued and supported to excel in their chosen field.This value is at the core of our organisation.
We believe in a culture of fairness by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, background or any other factor irrelevant to a person’s work. At NPL we are committed to the health and well being of our employees.Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of benefits(see our careers website for more information).
As part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we signed up to the Institute of Physics’ Project Juno in 2015 as a Juno Supporter. NPL were proud to be awarded Juno Practitioner status in 2018. NPL also joined Stonewall as a Diversity champion in 2015, participating in their annual Workplace Equality Index for the equality of LGBT+ community at NPL. In 2018, NPL became a member of the Business Disability Forum and joined the disability confident scheme as level 1 committed employer.
To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.
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