National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
PhD: Spectrally Pure Topological Microcombs
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About the Role
This PhD project is part of a funded collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), designed for a highly motivated and innovative early-career researcher to build strong skills in experimental and theoretical photonics and optics.
The goal is to develop extremely low-noise optical sources (microcombs) for precision timing applications. Leveraging recent advances in topological states and nonlinear optics, the system will generate ultrastable combs in a compact form. These objectives align with the Quantum National Strategy by building practical, metrology-ready microcombs, essential for the development of portable quantum timing devices.
The Emergent Photonics Research Centre is a 700 m² university facility dedicated to complexity in photonics, spanning ultrafast photonics, optical frequency combs in microresonators, AI for photonics, and terahertz technologies. The Centre hosts a multi-million-pound portfolio of equipment and research grants from funders including the ERC, EPSRC, DSTL, Innovate UK, and The Leverhulme Trust, with several early-career fellowships and PhD studentships.
During the course of the studentship, the student would be expected to complete two six-month placements at NPL. This research aligns with the UK Quantum Missions—targeting ultraprecise clock distribution (QT Mission 4: positioning, navigation, and timing; QT Mission 5: network synchronisation)—and is funded by the project UKRI Industrial Doctoral Landscape Awards (IDLA) Partnership: Spectrally Pure Topological Microcombs.
Related projects include: UK Hub for Quantum-Enabled Position, Navigation and Timing (QEPNT) – Glasgow-led. EPSRC Programme Grant – Chip-Scale Atomic Systems for a Quantum Navigator. STFC-NSERC UK-Canada MICROQ – a Loughborough–INRS initiative on microcombs for quantum networking. The NPL Quantum Programme - Supporting the UK through test and evaluation.
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You will join Prof Alessia Pasquazi’s (Loughborough) and Dr Jacob Tunesi’s (NPL) teams, contributing to leading-author publications and international presentations.
Funding: Fully funded. The UKRI/NPL studentship is for 4 years and provides a tax-free stipend of £25,555 per annum (consisting of £21,805 UKRI funding plus £3,750 industry top-up) plus tuition fees at UK or International rate. Funding for conference travel, lab materials, and a placement at an industry partner is also available.
About You
Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 Honours degree (or equivalent). We welcome applications from exceptional students with STEM backgrounds (physics, engineering, applied mathematics, advanced mechanics) intersecting with photonics.
Link to apply: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research-degrees/phd-opportunities/spectrally-pure-topological-microcombs/
About Us
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview
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NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.
At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.
We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.
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