📖Program Curriculum
Project details
Miniaturised frequency combs (micro-combs) are advanced lasers emitting ultra-precise pulses of light [1]–[3]. They are ideal candidates to provide the fast-beating “optical heart” required by transformative technologies such as portable atomic clocks, highly-sensitive hazardous chemical detectors, medical wearable, and computer chips operating at photonics speed [4]. Despite recent technological breakthroughs, micro-combs remain hard to control at the high emission powers required by real-life applications, such as optical atomic clocks. This is because existing stabilisation techniques are poorly suited to control highly nonlinear states, limiting our access to the extensive range of potential emission regimes.
This theoretical/experimental PhD project aims to overcome this conceptual gap by developing an advanced approach to characterise a real-life micro-comb laser using advanced data-driven techniques, with the final aim to reconstruct an effective machine-learning model of the experimental system suitable for real-time control [5], [6]. During the project, the PhD will be directly involved in the development and testing of machine learning control models in numerical simulations and real-life experimental setups.
At the end of the PhD, the candidate will have developed a thorough expertise in applied machine learning, experimental ultrafast photonics, and micro-comb science. To this end, the PhD project has been allocated a generous travel and training budget available for technical and professional development. We particularly welcome applications from under-represented groups, including, but not limited to BAME, disabled, neurodiverse, and female candidates.
References
[1] Bao, Nature Photonics, 13, 384 (2019).
[2] Pasquazi, Physics Reports, 729, 1, (2018).
[3] Rowley, Nature, 608, 7922, 303, (2022).
[4] Gaeta, Nature Photonics, 13, 3, 158, (2019).
[5] Lusch, Nature Communications, 9, 1, 4950, (2018).
[6] Kutz, Complexity, 2018, 6010634, (2018).
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