The Polariton BEC group of the Australian National University (ANU) is looking for a talented and highly motivated PhD student to work with us on experimental research in exciton-polariton physics. Exciton-polaritons are part-light part-matter particles arising from the strong mixing of photons in a photonic cavity and excitons in a semiconductor. The hybrid nature of these particles enables the formation of Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) and superfluids at room temperature, a promising step towards realising applications of macroscopically coherent quantum states at ambient conditions. However, there are two hurdles on the way towards this goal: (1) charge neutrality and (2) inherent photonic losses. The former makes exciton-polaritons interact weakly with external electromagnetic fields while the latter makes the particles extremely short-lived.
In this project, we aim to tackle the first and take advantage of the second issue by inducing synthetic fields that mimic the strong effects of real electromagnetic fields on exciton-polariton condensates and superfluids. By building on the breakthroughs in photonics, such as metasurfaces, non-Hermitian photonics, and chiral optics, we will engineer the cavity photon to create strong and nontrivial artificial fields for exciton-polaritons.
As a PhD student, you will be involved in the following:
- numerical modelling,
- fabrication of samples, and/or
- optical experiments.
With guidance from your supervisors, you will design microcavities with embedded excitonic material and numerically simulate their optical response. You will then fabricate these samples using the nanofabrication facilities at the ANU, the Australian National Fabrication Facility (Canberra), and the CSIRO (Sydney). Optical experiments will be performed at the state-of-the-art laboratory of the ANU Polariton BEC group.
During the program, you will have plenty of opportunities to learn from and collaborate with world-class experts in photonics, polaritonics, and atomic BECs. The ANU Research School of Physics offers this unique mix of expertise, a stimulating collaborative research environment, and a diverse, supportive, and inclusive network of students and academic staff.
The Australian National University is among the top institutions for education and research, ranking #1 in Australia and #27 in the world (QS Worlds University Rankings 2022 ). The campus is at the heart of Canberra. The city has numerous nature reserves and offers a safe, relaxed, and welcoming environment, perfect for balancing personal and academic life. The ANU Research School of Physics supports family-friendly and flexible work arrangements to focus on outputs rather than physical attendance.
You will be working under the supervision of Dr Eli Estrecho and Prof. Elena Ostrovskaya, in the ANU Polariton BEC group, which pioneered the exciton-polariton research in Australia. You will also benefit from the group’s extensive national and international collaboration network, which includes the nodes of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (FLEET), Wroclaw University (Poland), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Wuerzburg University (Germany), and Pittsburgh University (USA).
About the scholarship:
You will receive a stipend of $28,854 (plus a top-up up to $10,000) per annum for a period of three years (tax-exempt and indexed annually) and a full tuition fee sponsorship. The project allocates funding for your conference travels, collaborative visits, and summer schools (if available). This is in addition to the plethora of academic and transferrable skills training the ANU offers to all research students.
Eligibility and Application Criteria
You must have completed an Honours degree (or equivalent) or a Master’s degree with a substantial research component in physics or a related field, and have achieved a mark equivalent to the ANU 1st Class Honours (>80 grade) or demonstrated an ongoing research experience after the graduation. Specialisation in condensed matter physics or optics is preferred. We will assess your qualifications relevant to the opportunity, especially considering family responsibilities and COVID-19-related disruptions.
How to apply
If you are interested, contact Dr Eli Estrecho at [Email Address Removed] by sending your
- cover letter,
- updated CV, and
- academic transcripts (in English)
Application closing date
This opportunity will remain open until the position is filled.