Interferometric Detection of Nano-particles

Post summary

Applications are invited for a Doctoral student in the area of optical sensing. The successful applicant will be required to assist and conduct research in the area of interferometric detection of nano-particles on a programme funded by Waterford Institute of Technology. The grant will run for a period of 48 months, beginning in January 2021.

Programme Background:

Exposure to nanoparticle contamination has been linked to rheumatoid arthritis and other auto immune diseases. The ability to carry out precise measurements of nanoparticle concentrations is a key issue across many application areas. Environmental concerns revolve around sub 23nm particle in vehicle exhaust emissions, virus sizes can range from 4nm to 300nm and the use of engineered nanoparticles may lead release into the environment and cause food contamination.

Current schemes for detection revolve around light scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis and UV/Vis measurements. A major limitation of many approaches is that sampling and extraction is required, increasing the risk of altering the sample or aggregation state, and preventing in-situ analysis of the nanoparticles in their own environment.

This project aims to investigate the efficacy of interferometric sensing for in-situ, remote detection of nanoparticle contamination and measurement of concentration. Interferometric detection has been widely investigated in sensing applications across a diverse field of applications, but typically has low temporal resolution, which can be substantial where high resolution measurement is required. WIT have been to the forefront in the development of high-speed-short-scan solutions and also statically scanned (no-moving parts) configurations. These solutions can offer a real alternative to bench-top laboratory equipment and provide remote sensing capability. The main objective of this project is to design, fabricate and test interferometric sensors for remote contamination detection and measurement of concentration variations.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

·       Primary university degree (2.1) in a relevant STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) discipline.

Desirable

·       M.Sc in a relevant STEM discipline and/or relevant Industrial Experience

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

·       Signal Processing, Advanced Optics, Interferometry.

·       Hardware Integration and System Development

·       Technical Computing

Desirable

·       Project Management experience.

·       Practical optical experience.

Skills & Competencies

Essential

·       Good communication, writing, verbal, and organisational skills.

·       Ability to work independently and effectively as a member of a team.

·       Ability to communicate clearly with researchers from other research disciplines.

·       Evidence of scholastic achievements.

·       Willingness to learn new methods.

·       Applicants whose first language is not English must submit evidence of competency in English, please see WIT’s English Language Requirements for details.

Desirable

·       Experience with LabVIEW and Matlab/Scilab or equivalent.

·       Interest in sensing related research.

Supervisor(s) Dr. Kieran O’Mahoney / Dr. John Houlihan / Dr. Ken Thomas

Research Group Convergent Technologies Research Group

Department / School Engineering Technology, School of Engineering

Duration 48 months PhD

Status: Full-time / part-time Full Time

Funding information WIT Scholarship 2020/2021

Value of the Scholarship Annually Stipend: €15,000 Fees: €4,500 Research costs: €2,000 

Teaching requirement Two hours of academic development activities per week during the academic year in line with scholarship requirements.

Closing date and time

Advertisement Period 04/01/2021- 15/01/2021 This Competition will close at 4pm Irish time on the 15th of January 2021.

Interview date TBC

Commencement date Q1 2021

Further information

For any informal queries, please contact Dr. Kieran O’Mahoney at email: [Email Address Removed].

For queries relating to the application and admission process please contact the Postgraduate Admissions Office via email [Email Address Removed]  or telephone +353 (0)51 302883.

Website: www.wit.ie

Application procedure

Download the Research Postgraduate Application Form and return completed applications to [Email Address Removed], quoting WD_2020_38_WSCH in the email subject line. Please note that paper submissions will not be accepted.

Please note that paper submissions will not be accepted.