PhD Studentship: Macroscopic Quantum Systems for Science and Technology

Department: Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Title: Macroscopic quantum systems for science and technology
Application deadline: 03/03/2025
Research theme: Quantum Technology
Number of projects: One
How to apply: please click on the 'Apply' button above.

This is a 3.5 year PhD project funded by the Photon Science Institute. Tuition fees will be paid and the successful applicant will receive a tax free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£19,237 for 2024/25). The start date is 1st October 2025. The funding is for home and overseas. This advert will be removed once the position has been filled so we encourage applicants to apply early. 

Observing quantum effects in increasingly large objects is one of the foremost goals of modern scientific research. However, as objects get larger and heavier, delicate quantum features quickly become overwhelmed by interactions with the environment, resulting in the classical world we experience. Learning to engineer quantum systems at macroscopic scales would pave the way for a new era for scientific exploration and technological advancement, with applications ranging from understanding the quantum nature of gravity to acceleration sensors for inertial navigation.

The rapidly growing field of levitated optomechanics [1] has established itself as a promising platform for exploring macroscopic quantum science and building high fidelity sensors, thanks to the extreme isolation and control provided by nanoscale mechanical oscillators suspended by optical tweezers in vacuum.

Recent advances have demonstrated quantum-limited operation of levitated nanoparticles [2] and scalability to mechanical sensor arrays [3,4] using state-of-the-art optical control techniques. This project seeks to address the question “how can we use quantum and many-body resources in optomechanical systems to achieve quantum-enhanced measurement sensitivities?”.

A successful demonstration of quantum-enhanced sensing with interacting mechanical oscillator arrays can open up a new era of quantum metrology for science – from macroscopic superpositions to high-frequency gravitational waves detectors – and technology – from tuneable pressure sensors to high-performance acceleration sensors.

Desirable qualities:
This project would suit a creative and motivated candidate with an interest in building quantum technology and learning a wide range of skills in optical systems, precision measurements, electronic control and feedback systems, vacuum systems, data analysis, and scientific writing and communication. Experience in working in an optics lab and programming in Python will be beneficial but is not necessary.

Before you apply, please contact the supervisor, Dr Jaydev Vijayan: jayadev.vijayan@manchester.ac.uk. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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