The demand for optical transceivers in datacenters is growing at an unprecedented rate due to the rise of video streaming and cloud computing. The push for ever faster transceivers, at lower cost and in ever smaller packages is putting considerable strain on photonic transceiver devices. Key emerging technologies such as silicon photonics and flip chip assembly of integrated optical platforms are being developed to meet future needs. All however require to efficiently interface to fibre and waveguide architectures and provide low cost automated assembly while maintaining accuracy and performance. This project will involve the definition, design, development, fabrication and test of novel glass based photonic coupling structures using combined direct laser write, chemical etching and surface shaping. This is targeted to simplify assembly processes to transceiver platforms, for both Silicon Photonic and VCSEL based architectures, and provide high volume product solutions to meet anticipated future demand. The work will focus on achieving: a) low coupling losses b) relaxed alignment tolerances c) high levels of reliability. The coupling structures will be fabricated at Optoscribe's state of the art clean room fabrication facility in Livingston and activities will span from optically modelling the structures using photonic design tools, to transferring designs into prototype manufacturing, taking the parts through processing, singulation and optical test.

Humanity’s reliance on the rapid and free flow of information cannot be understated. Over the last two decades, control over the spectral, temporal, and spatial structure of light has led to a massive increase in optical data transfer rates via signal multiplexing. For example, the simultaneous encoding of information in 84,236 spatial and frequency channels was recently used for achieving a record 10 Petabit/sec data transmission rate. As quantum technologies mature, so will the needs of a quantum infrastructure that relies on the efficient and noise-robust transfer of information. Precise control over the photonic degrees of freedom (DOFs) of space, time, and frequency offer the potential to enable similar breakthroughs for the fields of quantum communication and networking, and in parallel unlock key functionalities for quantum imaging and sensing with light. PIQUaNT will develop methods for the coherent control and measurement of the high-dimensional position-momentum and time-frequency DOFs of a photon, and drive forward the creation of techniques for combating sources of noise that inhibit the long-distance transfer of multi-mode quantum information. PIQUaNT will in turn apply these techniques in demonstrations of noise-resilient, high-capacity entanglement distribution in multiple photonic DOFs over commercially available multi-mode and multi-core fibres. Through the realisation of a prototype entanglement-based high-dimensional quantum communications network, PIQUaNT will serve as a blueprint for the future development of noise-robust quantum information networks that saturate the information carrying capacity of a photon.

Doctoral Training Partnerships: a range of postgraduate training is funded by the Research Councils. For information on current funding routes, see the common terminology at https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/how-we-fund-studentships/. Training grants may be to one organisation or to a consortia of research organisations. This portal will show the lead organisation only.

This is a PhD research project at the Physics/Engineering interface, based in the High Power Laser Applications research group. One of the most significant recent advances in optical fibre technology has been the development of microstructured silica fibres that guide light in air. A wide range of different fibre designs have been developed, with one of the most promising confining light in a hollow core via an "anti-resonance" guiding mechanism. The use of a hollow core means that many of the constraints on optical fibre performance that are due to the properties of the core material are lifted (often by many orders of magnitude) and the fibres can by far outperform their more familiar conventional counterparts. This opens up the possibility of applications such as high precision laser machining and materials modification using UV ultrashort (picosecond or femtosecond) laser pulses. This ability to deliver the pulsed laser light flexibly from the laser system to the point of application is a key advance required to develop practical and commercially viable applications. The focus of this PhD project is to demonstrate these fibres at a range of short wavelengths and to work with our industrial collaborators to establish them as useful in manufacturing and clinical environments. This involves testing fibres with several designs, verifying their performance, identifying the barriers to their use and overcoming them, and then working in the laboratories of our collaborators to establish them as useful on the factory floor and also in medical and engineering measurements. There will be close interaction with the University of Bath, who will fabricate the fibres. The PhD student will work closely with an experienced Research Associate at Heriot-Watt who is employed on the associated EPSRC funded Heriot-Watt/Univ Bath joint project.