Theoretical PhD project on nonlinear optics in microstructures

The field of nonlinear photonics has continuously led to the demonstration of a wide range of new applications that have been exploited in developing novel optical devices. It is a field that is based on strong light-matter interactions, via exploiting the optical nonlinearity of the medium through which the light travels. Harmonic generation processes, spontaneous parametric-down conversion, and Raman amplification are only few examples to show the impacts of nonlinear photonics in science and technology.

Microstructures have been developed recently benefiting from rapid progress in fabrication techniques. These structures are tailored to engineer their linear and nonlinear properties in unprecedented ways.  The tasks of the project are to investigate different nonlinear interactions, such as third-harmonic generation, in microstructured fibres and CMOS-compatible waveguides, for a wide range of optical applications. The proposed work is mainly theoretical, involving extensive numerical simulations using MATLAB and COMSOL packages. Interaction with experimentalists in the institute is highly expected. The goal of the project is to develop nonlinearly-controlled coherent light sources using these microstructures.

Self-motivated students are sought to join the new Microstructured Nonlinear Optics (MNO) research group at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. For UK students, Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) scholarships are available on a competitive basis across the Institute. These scholarships cover the tuition fees and come with standard stipends. For EU students, they could apply for tuition-fees scholarships, and also for very limited number of DTP scholarships. Other international students, who are self-funded, are also welcome to apply. 

Please send inquiry emails to Dr. Saleh at m.saleh@hw.ac.uk