We are excited to offer a PhD position that will develop practical, high-precision devices using ultracold atoms in quantum technologies. This project is geared toward creating a new generation of sensing and navigation devices based on matter-wave interferometry, with the potential to redefine accuracy in autonomous navigation systems.
Your Role and Key Objectives
• Develop Novel Devices: Work on integrated atomic-optical systems for rotation sensing, contributing to the future of compact, ultra-sensitive quantum navigators.
• Innovate in Atom Waveguides: Drive the design and construction of atomic waveguides that function as “fiber optics” for atoms, offering a controlled environment for coherent matter waves to travel and interact.
• Advance State-of-the-art in Sensitivity: Use optical ring traps and atomic waveguides to enhance phase sensitivity beyond what’s achievable with traditional gyroscopes.
Research Environment
The project will provide hands-on learning at the cutting edge of quantum technologies for sensing and measurement. During the PhD you will learn in the use of ultracold Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and methods that provide precision control over atomic wavefunctions. You will join a team of researchers that offers and inclusive, collaborative research environment. This project is part of a large, multidisciplinary collaboration on Chip-scale Atomic Systems for Quantum Navigation, and you will have opportunities to work closely with experts in atomic physics, optics, lasers, and nanophotonics.
During the PhD you will gain expertise in BEC interferometry, laser cooling, and chip-based quantum technology with guidance from a supportive research team. You will be supported in your professional growth. You will collaborate with national and international researchers, build valuable networks, and gain skills crucial for a future in quantum technologies. You will play a pivotal role in creating the technology foundation for next-generation quantum sensors, with potential for real-world impact
Further Details
The aim of this project is the demonstration of integrated atomic-optical systems for matter-wave interferometry. It builds on existing activities at Strathclyde in atom interferometry with coherent matter-waves and work on developing miniaturised technology for rotation sensing. An exciting geometry for this is the use of atomic waveguides, the analogue of fibre-optics for atoms, which would allow the atomic wavefunction to propagate in a near perfect environment. A coherent matter wave confined in a ring trap is formally equivalent to the coherent laser field in a ring cavity, known from the ring laser gyro. The interesting difference is that the sensitivity to phase rotation scales with the relativistic energy of the particle/wave involved. This scaling offers an increase in sensitivity per quantum particle of over ten orders of magnitude when comparing atoms to photons. There are many hurdles to a practical realisation; however, a significantly increased sensitivity seems achievable. Our research programme uses quantum gases, cooled to ultra-low temperatures to create Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs). These BECs are a powerful and adaptable tool for precision measurement, providing control over the atomic wavefunction in much the same way that a laser allows control over light.