Astrophotonics - simplifying the transfer of light between telescopes and spectrographs to maximise the throughput

Astrophotonics seeks to revolutionise astronomical instrumentation by introducing cutting-edge photonics. At Bath we are working on several ways in which custom-made optical fibres can simplify and/or improve astronomical telescopes. In this project, you will design and make new fibres and construct photonic devices from them such as photonic lanterns, which merge several single-mode cores into one multimode core. The project involves some theoretical and numerical modelling, which the student may wish to become involved in, but the focus of the project is experimental.

The devices will be optically characterised and delivered to collaborators world-wide for testing in the lab and (ultimately) on-sky. The aim is to simplify the transfer of light between telescopes and spectrographs and maximise the throughput, which is very important in astronomy where "every photon counts". However, incidental applications often arise - for example, the photonic lantern is now being studied as a way to improve the capacity of telecommunication fibres.

The project is based at the University of Bath’s Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials (CPPM), which hosts a fibre fabrication suite and dedicated optics laboratories including the tapering rig, and provides a supportive environment with training and other opportunities. You will have your own project, but will interact strongly with other PhD students and postdocs working on related projects. You will have the opportunity to present your work at leading international conferences and publish in high-quality peer-reviewed journals.