About the project
We are working in collaboration with a large EU consortium to create a reprogrammable neuromorphic photonic platform for a variety of applications from telecommunications to biosensing. We use the latest generation of phase change materials to create highly efficient in-memory photonic functionality with novel materials that allow the upscaling of the technology.
The current increase in data generation is expected to start reaching unsustainable rates by 2025. This has a strong impact on the environment, with current implementations reaching the limit of efficiency and therefore new solutions are sought after. In addition, specific applications such as image recognition and lidar are more efficiently processed in the light domain. Integrated photonics have the inherent ability to modulate and carry a much larger data density when compared to electronic solutions. In addition, reprogrammable integrated photonics provide the ability to implement the photonic equivalent of a memristor enabling neuromorphic based computation. Our work is to build the most efficient building components for such a system by employing the latest generation of advanced materials.
Our facilities are unique in the UK and will provide you with the opportunity to develop advanced skills in the design, characterisation, optimization, and experimental application of novel materials and devices. You will have the opportunity to optimise the processes and materials you will use which effectively means you will be the first in the world to use the compositions you develop. In addition to field specific skills, the Zepler Institute’s training and mentoring programme will provide training in report writing, project management, time management, presentation skills, and safety, all of which are applicable to future academic or industrial employability.
