About the project
Gas sensing is a vital technique for many applications, including medicine and environmental monitoring. However, there can be difficulties with many commonly used techniques. The use of quantum technology (such as entangled photons and single photon counting techniques) may be able to alleviate these, and this project will explore this.
The ability to detect and quantify gases at trace (potentially sub-ppm) levels is vital for many applications, including environmental monitoring, biomedicine, and combatting climate change. The ability to do this optically has many benefits, including the range and speed at which measurements can be made, but also some drawbacks, such as potentially lower sensitivity.
Recently hollow-core fibres (HCFs), a type of speciality optical fibre which guide light in a hollow, gas-filled core, have been used to enhance these optical sensing techniques by extending the light-matter interaction length. But this approach is not problem free, as they may still involve weak signals or difficult (mid-IR) wavelengths.
Quantum technology, such as the generation of entangled photons (at differing wavelengths) or single-photon counting, offers the potential to solve these problems, further enhance these approaches.
This project will, therefore, investigate some of the following concepts:
- the use of superconducting single-photon detectors to further improve the sensitivity of HCF-enhanced Raman gas sensing, and enable distributed measurements
- the generation and use of quantum light, i.e. entangled, correlated and squeezed light sources, at selected wavelengths to allow HCF-enhanced mid-IR absorption spectroscopy to be further improved through the measurement of non-interacting near-IR photons
- the use of gas-filled HCFs to generate entangled photons for use in mid-IR gas sensing measurements
You will work with our existing research team in our state-of-the-art facilities to explore these topics. Your new colleagues, being experts in their fields, will help guide and support your work, ensuring your success.
Entry requirements
You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.
Fees and funding
The studentship will cover UK tuition fees, and you’ll receive a UKRI minimum tax-free stipend (living allowance) per year for up to 4 years, along with a budget for research, travel, and placement activities.
How to apply
You need to:
- choose programme type (Research), 2025/26, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
- select Full time or Part time
- choose ‘PhD Quantum Tech Eng’
- insert name of the supervisor in section 2
Applications should include:
- your CV (resumé)
- 2 reference letters
- degree transcripts/certificates to date
Contact us
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
If you have a general question, email:Â feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk
Project leader
If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, email Dr Ian Davidson (I.A.K.Davidson@soton.ac.uk).
