2018 CDT ISM Student Cohort

Time correlated single photon detection enables a photon to be sent and the time it takes to return to be recorded. From this measurement and knowing the speed of light, the distance the photon has travelled can be calculated which is a technique known as rangefinding. There are many applications of rangefinding which include 3D imaging and seeing around corners but also it is a key technology for the navigation of autonomous vehicles so they do not bump into objects around them. Rangefinders are also important for road vehicles and one major application in the automotive industry is for sensors to determine if a car might crash so that the driver can be warned or preventative measures can be undertaken. The technology could also be used in digital and mobile phone cameras for autofocusing.
This project aims to develop the key device required for rangefinding at the important eye-safe wavelengths of 1.55 µm but also investigate longer wavelengths where the technology could be used for direct gas identification and imaging. The project will involve designing Ge and GeSn materials on a silicon substrate as the absorber layers for single photon detectors before fabricating a range of different single photon detectors and then testing them. At present all room temperature commercially available single photon detectors at this wavelength rely on expensive InGaAs technology which is too expensive for consumer markets and has US export controls. This project is aiming to develop much cheaper technology on a silicon platform that could be mass produced in silicon foundries allowing large arrays to be produced.
The student should have an undergraduate degree in Physics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering or an equivalent degree. They will design and model devices and be working in the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre to fabricate the devices before testing the photodetectors. The project is in collaboration with the companies Optocap and IQE as part of an InnovateUK project

Quantum Technologies are poised to transform sensing, communications and computing in the 21st century. Superconducting materials will play an important role in this revolution. This project offers the opportunity to develop underpinning materials and techniques in close collaboration with our industry partner Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology. Your task will be to optimize superconducting thin film growth via Atomic Layer Deposition, characterize thin film properties at ultralow temperatures and implement these films in advanced superconducting devices and circuits. You will become an expert in the very latest techniques in this fast moving field. This project is an ideal opportunity for an ambitious and motivated student with a background in engineering, physics or materials science.

Rheological studies underpin the design and the production of most of the industrial processed materials, including oil derivatives, drugs and foodstuff. However, despite the deep knowledge of the theoretical framework underpinning this field of research, rheological techniques have rarely been fully exploited as either diagnostic methods or Point-of-Care devices. The aim of this PhD project is to develop a new set of rheological methods and devices for measuring the mechanical properties of (biological) liquids by using only a ‘droplet’ of sample volume, and to explore their application as new diagnostic and Point-of-Care devices for blood diseases.

Point-of-care medical testing enables patients to obtain diagnostic results that inform clinical treatment, without visiting a specialist healthcare. Within the developed world this includes “bathroom testing” (eg pregnacy or sexual health) or home management of diseases (eg diabetes). In low and medium income countries (LMIC), the paradigm enables infectious disease testing “in-the-field” in rural areas where there is no specialized access to healthcare professionals. In either case the outcome is the same, namely new technology enabling timely and informed treatment and delivering healthcare benefits without direct access to clinical facilities.

Since their invention in 1973, mobile phones have become ubiquitous with >4.6b unique users (78% of subscriptions are in LMICs). Modern smartphones have ~14 built-in sensors including proximity, pressure, gyroscope as well as heart rate (used for the delivery of healthcare through m-health). They now also offer an attractive platform for point-of-care medical diagnostics – providing a rechargeable battery, a high resolution camera for imaging, a CPU for processing data and a means of transmitting results (to enable “decision-support” from experts or expert systems).

Over the last 3.5 years researchers at the University of Glasgow (School of Physics & Astronomy and School of Electrical & Nanoscale Engineering) have been developing a MEMS gravimeter. The device has already shown sufficient sensitivity and stability to make a first measurement of the earth tides; changes in the local acceleration of gravity caused by the elastic deformation of the earth, originating from the tidal potential of the moon and sun.
This project will perform field trials of the MEMS gravimeter and comparison tests with commercial instruments. Particular areas of research will focus on thermal control of the miniaturised package via a Peltier heater/cooler and robustness testing (field trials/shake tests) to determine the cumulative failure statistics of the device and techniques to improve robustness (e.g. development of limit stops and locking mechanisms).

LISA – the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna – will be the European Space Agency’s third Large-class mission in its Cosmic Vision program and will become the world’s first ever space-based gravitational wave observatory.
Capitalising on the Glasgow success in the LISA Pathfinder mission, the UK Space Agency recently committed substantial resources to a joint Glasgow/UK-ATC team to cover the first phase of development of the optical system for LISA. The Agency has agreed that UK provision of the optical bench subsystem will form the main UK hardware contribution to the mission.

The PhD research project will focus on developing various techniques which are essential for the final design and implementation of the overall LISA optical system. Key topics include: development of analysis methods to determine the impact of stray light on the science measurement; investigations into the design and development of ultra-stable laser beam fibre couplers, and other optical systems suitable for LISA; development of alignment and displacement sensors and techniques which are capable of achieving the ultra-high precision required for the build and operation of the LISA optical metrology system.

Our aim is to prepare sensors which resist bio-fouling by directly preparing hydrogels on nanoelectrode array surface. We have recently developed a method of using an electrochemical approach to directly prepare gels on to an electrode surface, where the gel dimensions and porosity are directly controlled by the current applied to, and the diffusion flux at nanoelectrode and microelectrode arrays. Our self-assembled gels are fundamentally different to typical polymeric gels and our approach also allows us to prepare multi-component systems, allowing us to control the chemistry of the gels, as well as the porosity and diffusion rates through the gels. The gels resist bio-fouling, albeit outside the biologically most relevant range (at pH 4) for our proof-of-principle data.

The aim of this project is to translate the above into fundamental understanding and systematic development which will inform the development of enhanced biosensors. The student will synthesise materials that gel at physiological pH on our in-house microfabricated electrochemical arrays, determine the structure property relationships by electrochemical, optical imaging and rheological methods, and use this work to inform the preparation and characterisation of the performance of enhanced biosensor systems. The student will work both in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and acquire multidisciplinary skills and training including electrochemistry, hydrogel formation and characterisation, rheological and imaging methods microfabrication (Engineering) and biosensor production and characterisation.

Microwave imaging using Antenna based systems for medical applications was first introduced for breast cancer detection. Over the last two decades, many research, including the group in Edinburgh, have reported successful detection of breast cancer either through simulations or experiments using artificial breast. A clinical testing was also recently reported. The difference in dielectric constant and conductivity between healthy and malignant tissue caused the reflected electromagnetic wave to vary in their magnitude and phase. Due to these findings, the use of ultra-wideband system was extended towards head imaging and diagnostics by the group in Edinburgh. In this research, a wearable device made up of flexible ultra-wideband antenna array system together with a dielectric absorber will be investigated. The proposed wearable device aims to provide a constant monitoring of people’s health condition, especially those under risk. This device could be worn by patients with stroke or cancer history as well as people involved in high risk sports. By identifying those diseases earlier, proper treatments could be given. Several fabrication technologies for antenna/sensor fabrication will be explored such as 3-D printing and conductive inkjet printing technologies in addition to commonly used photolithography techniques. Antenna design would have to meet several requirements such as ultra-wideband characteristic, being flexible and small to be integrated into a wearable device. As for data acquisition, two methods will be proposed. These will based on measurement and characterisation of reflection (S11) and transmission coefficients (S21).

We are looking for a talented, motivated and self-directed graduate in the Physical Sciences or Engineering interested in pursuing a 4-year PhD at the University of Edinburgh. The PhD is in association with Adaptix, an award-winning medical technology company with sites in Oxford and Scotland.

A prestigious studentship is available, funded by the Royal Society and Adaptix. It is linked to a Royal Society Industry Fellow at Adaptix and its purpose is to develop a uniform array of high-flux field emitters for X-ray medical imaging. The research project will require the student to acquire a broad range of background knowledge to communicate and collaborate effectively across disciplines. The successful applicant will develop deep technical knowledge of silicon micromachining and device microfabrication in a semiconductor-grade cleanroom setting. They will also be involved in process transfer from an R&D environment to manufacturing. These skills are highly valued for future career prospects. The student will develop cutting edge technology which will revolutionise healthcare options for millions and help Adaptix to disrupt the medical imaging industry.

Your scientific curiosity and inventiveness will be exercised daily. You will register for a full-time PhD at the University of Edinburgh (UoE), and will be supervised jointly by academic and industry supervisors (respectively Prof. Ian Underwood, School of Engineering and Dr. Aquila Mavalankar, Adaptix Ltd). Unusually, the 4-year project will be carried out on several sites, with the first two years focussed on training and process development in the Scottish Microelectronics Centre at the UoE, then the final two years on process transfer, optimisation and deployment with the Adaptix R&D team at the Science and Technology Facilities Campus in Oxfordshire. This will give you an unrivalled opportunity to conduct research at a world-class university, and to experience the fast-paced delivery-oriented environment of an ambitious early-stage technology company.