About the project
Metaoptics is the application of metasurface concepts in optical systems. This rapidly growing field has the potential to revolutionise a wide range of applications, such as sensing, imaging, and telecommunications.
The design and manufacturing of high precision, large area metaoptic components remains a challenge due to the difficulties in achieving high precision accuracy over a large diameter. Our team has taken the first steps in producing high quality metalenses using the deep-UV (DUV) scanner lithography tool available in the University of Southampton’s cleanroom.
To advance the design and fabrication of metaoptics in the near and mid-infrared range you will:
- use state-of-the-art capabilities in the design of metasurfaces and their integration into optical systems
- explore the design of metasurfaces through both commercial and custom-built software, such as deep learning
- fabricate metasurface optics using advanced full-wafer fabrication tools at Southampton’s DUV lithography and our new 200 kV electron beam lithography system
You will receive training and develop strong expertise in fabrication of devices using one of the leading research cleanroom facilities in the UK. Our DUV lithography is the only one available in the UK's academic research community and our new 200 kV electron beam lithography system, is the only one installed in the UK and Europe.
This CASE Conversion PhD studentship involves a partnership with Qioptiq, an Excelitas Technologies company. They are technology leaders in delivering high-performance, market-driven photonic innovations to meet the illumination, optical, optronic, sensing, detection, and imaging needs of customers around the world.
You will visit Qioptiq to use interferometric metrology to analyse and measure the flatness, pseudo-curvature, and transmitted wavefronts of metaoptics. Qioptiq will support your development in:
- optical system design
- metamaterial design
- material science
- coating knowledge
- application-focused specifications
