About the project
This project will develop and demonstrate advanced bilayer metasurface optical elements addressing performance trade-offs and constraints (field of view vs. numerical aperture and efficiency; off-axis aberrations) that limit the applications potential and real-world deployment of single-layer metalenses.
Metasurfaces – planar arrays of subwavelength nanostructures – enable precise control of electromagnetic waves within an ultrathin layer of material. As a replacement for bulk glass/crystal optics they can dramatically reduce the size and weight of optical systems.
However, while metasurface lenses are now being deployed in a range of axial focusing, beam steering, and structured light generation applications, single-layer designs are inherently subject to off-axis aberrations, and performance trade-offs that limit their usefulness in applications dependent on high-fidelity imaging and wavefront control, such as micro-endoscopy, optical metrology, and automotive LiDAR. Bilayer architectures can address these issues, and/or add novel optical functionalities not possible in bulk or single-layer metasurface lenses, but present complex design and fabrication challenges.
This project will leverage computational (inverse) design-for-manufacturing methodologies, and Southampton’s unparalleled nanofabrication facilities to demonstrate the applications potential, and a pathway to scalable fabrication, of bilayer metasurface optical elements.
Our Nanophotonics research group is a multinational team of students, postdoctoral and academic staff working together on various aspects of cutting-edge nanophotonics research. We explore, develop and demonstrate the physics and technology of novel materials and light-matter interaction phenomena at sub-wavelength scales, with wide-ranging applications potential e.g. in optical metrology, sensing, super-resolution imaging, data processing, and advanced manufacturing. Our work is supported by large research grants (currently totalling >£20M) from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) is a world-leading photonics research organization. With over 90 state-of-the-art laboratories and a diverse community of around 200 researchers working in all areas of optics and photonics, it provides an outstanding interdisciplinary environment for postgraduate students.
Our extensive training programme provides knowledge and skills through photonics lectures, training for report writing, project management, time management, presentation skills and full safety training for your research area – all essential life skills for the next step in your career. Find out more about photonics and optoelectronics at the University of Southampton.
Within this project, you will have opportunity to develop advanced skills in experimental photonics, computational electromagnetic modelling, nanofabrication, the application of machine learning and AI, and electron and optical microscopy. Our students typically publish several papers in leading academic journals and present their work at a number of major international conferences, as their research progresses.
The School of Optoelectronics (ORC) 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.
