Silicon Photonics for methane emissions reduction

Supervisory Team:   Professor Goran Mashanovich (UoS/ZIPN)

Co-Supervisor: Dr Milos Nedeljkovic (UoS/ZIPN)

Co-Supervisor: Prof. Matthew Mowlem (NOC,UoS)

Project description

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas whose emissions have caused about 30% of global heating to date. At COP-26 a multinational alliance of 105 countries pledged to cut their methane emissions by 30% in the next decade, because it is thought to be the most effective way to reduce near-term global warming. One of the most important levers for doing so will be to reduce natural gas leakage from fossil fuel production infrastructure, but to achieve this new low-cost technologies for immediately detecting the leaks will be needed.

The aim of this project will be to develop photonic integrated circuits for methane sensing, operating at mid-infrared wavelengths where the gas strongly absorbs light. It will involve 1) evaluating photonic circuit architectures for different sensing scenarios, 2) designing electro-optic devices and circuits through simulation, 3) fabricating them in Southampton’s world class cleanroom, 4) experimentally measuring their performance, and 5) implementing opto-electronic signal processing for extracting data from the sensors.

We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate with a background in electronics or photonics. The applicant would join a cutting-edge research group in the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton, and work in the state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities and photonic device characterisation laboratories at the ORC. They would work in cooperation with postdoctoral researchers employed on the new £5.8 million project “MISSION” (Mid- Infrared Silicon Photonic Sensors for Healthcare and Environmental Monitoring), and with academic and industrial collaborators with interests in gas sensing.

For eligible UK applicants, a fully funded PhD place on this project is available supported by an EPSRC Studentship, which comes with a stipend of up to £18,000 (tax-free) with fees paid. For any further information or informal discussion, please contact Prof. Goran Mashanovich (g.mashanovich@soton.ac.uk, https://zepler.soton.ac.uk/people/gm1a11), or Dr Milos Nedeljkovic (m.nedeljkovic@soton.ac.uk, https://zepler.soton.ac.uk/people/mn3m11), or Prof. Matthew Mowlem (matm@noc.ac.uk, https://noc.ac.uk/n/Matthew+Mowlem).

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent). The project is well suited to graduates of electronic engineering, physics or chemistry but we will consider applicants from other subject areas that can demonstrate relevant expertise.

Closing date: applications should be received no later than 31 August 2022 for standard admissions, but later applications may be considered depending on the funds remaining in place.

Funding: For UK students, Tuition Fees and a stipend of £18,000 tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years.

How To Apply

Applications should be made online. Select programme type (Research), 2021/22, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, next page select “PhD ORC (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Goran Mashanovich

Applications should include:

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts to date

Apply online: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/how-to-apply/postgraduate-applications.page

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk