About the project
This project will develop next-generation metasurface technologies for Physical AI, using nanostructured optical hardware to integrate sensing and information processing closer to the physical world. Building on recent EPSRC, Royal Society, and Leverhulme Trust funding, the project combines advanced nanofabrication, machine-learning-enabled optical design, and international collaboration.
Metasurfaces are planar nanostructures capable of manipulating the amplitude, phase, and polarisation of light, enabling unconventional functionalities in ultra-compact optical systems. In parallel, Physical AI is an emerging technological direction in which intelligent systems interact directly with the physical world through integrated sensing, computation, and actuation.
This project will bring these two areas together by developing metasurface-based optical sensors and processors. By extracting task-relevant information before digital processing, such systems could reduce latency and computational overhead. Potential applications include robotics, autonomous sensing, consumer electronics, and compact imaging systems.
You'll investigate machine-learning-assisted design approaches for metasurfaces, enabling the joint optimisation of optical functionality and downstream AI tasks such as feature extraction. Devices will be fabricated using the University of Southampton’s advanced nanofabrication facilities, with particular emphasis on scalable fabrication approaches that support future translation and commercialisation.
The project provides interdisciplinary training in:
- inverse design
- nanofabrication
- optical characterisation
- machine learning for physical and optical systems
The project will involve collaboration with leading international partners, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Nanyang Technological University, and several industrial partners. Opportunities may also arise for extended international research visits during the later stages of your PhD.
The School of Electronics and Computer Science 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.
