About the project
The aim of this project is to explore new frontiers in the design of photonics integrated circuits (PICs) by using artificial intelligence (AI). The project has potential to revolutionise chip design and manufacturing processes by reduction of circuit footprint, optimisation of various elements and devices and their integration, and enabling more efficient packaging. It can play a crucial role in shaping the future of PICs and their implementation in various applications.
Semiconductors, and particularly silicon, are playing a vital role in electronic circuits that are ubiquitous in everyday life. It is projected that global spending on microelectronics fabrication equipment will reach a record $400 billion from 2025 to 2027. Photonics, electronics of the 21st century, is making huge inroads in many important applications such as data centres, autonomous cars, healthcare, and environmental monitoring, to name a few.
One of the main requirements for photonics integrated circuits is reduced power consumption, therefore it is crucial to optimise every stage of the chip design cycle, from architecture to manufacturing. This could lead to the development of even faster, cheaper, and more energy-efficient chips for a wide range of devices, from smartphones to medical equipment and agricultural sensors.
This project offers you the chance to work at the intersection of cutting-edge machine learning techniques and next-generation integrated circuits (IC) design, automating and optimising processes currently challenging to solve. You will explore advance AI methods such as graph neural networks, reinforcement learning, and generative adversarial networks to tackle challenges in circuit layout, optimisation, and verification.
You will have access to databases of photonics devices and circuits, to one of the best academic cleanrooms in Europe and state of the art photonics laboratories in the largest photonics centre in the UK. You will collaborate with experts across various fields and gain experience in the design, fabrication, characterisation and optimisation of photonic integrated circuits. A comprehensive training will be available for improving your technical and soft skills.
Find out more about our Silicon Photonics Research Group.
Entry requirements
You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in physics, electronics or closely related disciplines.
Fees and funding
For UK students, tuition fees will be paid and you’ll receive a stipend (living allowance) at the UKRI rate plus £2,000 ORC tax-free per year for up to 3.5 years (totalling £21,237 for 2024/25, rising annually).
EU and Horizon Europe students are eligible for scholarships. Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) students are eligible for fee waivers. Funding for other international applicants is very limited and highly competitive. Overseas students who have secured or are seeking external funding are welcome to apply.
How to apply
You need to:
- choose programme type (Research), Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- select Full time or Part time
- choose the relevant PhD in Optoelectronics (ORC)
- insert the name of the supervisor in section 2
Applications should include:
- a personal statement
- your CV (resumé)
- 2 reference letters
- degree transcripts/certificates to date
Applications are accepted throughout the year. The start date will typically be late September, but other dates are possible.
For additional details on the application process, please see the Postgraduate Research page for Photonics and Optoelectronics.
Contact us
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
If you have a general question, email our doctoral college (feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk).
Project leader
If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, email Professor Goran Mashanovich (G.Mashanovich@soton.ac.uk).
