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  Unlocking the Future of High-Capacity Ground-to-Satellite Communications


   Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences

   Applications accepted all year round  Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

About the Project

Supervisory Team: Dr. Kyle Bottrill, Dr. Yongmin Jung, and Prof. Periklis Petropoulos 

Project Description

High-capacity ground-to-satellite communications have long relied on microwaves for data transmission, as they have since the very first communications satellites were launched. However, the surge in demand for data-intensive digital services and the evolution of sophisticated satellite-borne sensors have pushed microwave links to their limit, transforming them into a critical data transmission bottleneck. 

This is where optical communications come in. Leveraging the unparalleled bandwidth of optical technologies, akin to those powering the internet’s fibre-optic backbone, represents a transformative solution to the challenges faced by ground-to-satellite communication. The potential for over 3 orders of magnitude improvement in transmission capacities stands as a scalable factor for growth, ensuring the long-term competitiveness of satellite communication against other wireless access technologies. 

Yet, the transmission of light through Earth’s atmosphere introduces its own set of challenges, primarily weather effects and atmospheric turbulence. This PhD project invites you to embark on ground-breaking exploration of novel methods to overcome these challenges. Cutting-edge approaches, such as using spatial light modulators for precise phase-front correction and harnessing exotic spatial modes (such as orbital angular momentum modes), will be investigated. This endeavour capitalizes on the unique synergy of photonic fabrication facilities and world-leading expertise at the ORC. This project will require a mixture of experimental work to produce hardware solutions to these atmospheric challenges as well as numerical modelling to understand how these solutions will scale to the distances involved with ground to satellite communication. 

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5x5v8w/doctor-yongmin-jung

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5wzjnj/professor-periklis-petropoulos 

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr. Kyle Bottrill, Optical Fibre Communications Research Group, Email: 

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent). 

Closing Date

Applications are accepted throughout the year. The start date will typically be late September, but other dates are possible. 

Funding

For UK students, tuition fees and a stipend at the UKRI rate plus £2,000 ORC enhancement tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years (totalling around £21,000 for 2024/25, rising annually). EU and Horizon Europe students are eligible for scholarships. CSC students are eligible for fee waivers. Funding for other international applicants is very limited and highly competitive. Overseas students who have secured or are seeking external funding are welcome to apply. 

How To Apply

Apply online: Search for a Postgraduate Programme of Study (soton.ac.uk). Select programme type (Research), Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, next page select “PhD ORC”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor. 

Applications should include:

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date 

For further information please contact:  

The School of Zepler Institute is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.


Computer Science (8) Engineering (12) Mathematics (25) Physics (29)

Register your interest for this project


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