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Featured bySwansea University
Overview
Scholarship type
Merit based
Number of scholarships to award
Multiple
Grant
Full tuition waiver + £19,237
Scholarship coverage
- tuition fee reduction
- other
Description
Optical forces arise when light, which has no mass yet carries momentum, is deflected through interaction with a material object. Lasers of power ~100mW focused to a spot ~10um exert significant forces on objects ~100nm across. These nanoparticles can be levitated, in vacuum, and manipulated by modulating the optical field. Interferometric measurement and active feedback techniques allow these systems to approach quantum limits of position sensitivity.
This research is part of the field of levitated optomechanics. Since the seminal demonstration of feedback cooling to sub-Kelvin temperatures [Gieseler 2012], the field has seen rapid and intense research, with recent achievements including cooling to the quantum-mechanical ground-state with optical cavities [Delić 2020] and in a cryogenic environment [Tebbenjohanns 2021].
This project will explore development of practical devices based on levitated optomechanics including engineered isolation of specific mechanical modes and microfabrication techniques to source, prepare, and levitate nanoparticles in a compact, robust device. Microfabrication will be explored in collaboration with Swansea University's Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials [CISM].
Applicable programmes
Benefits
This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at £19,237.
Additional research expenses will also be available.
Eligibility
- Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level or a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’ (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University).
- If you are eligible to apply for the scholarship but do not hold a UK degree, you can check their comparison entry requirements.
- IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.0) or Swansea University recognised equivalent.
- This scholarship is open to candidates of any nationality.
- EPSRC DTP studentships are available to home and international students.
Scholarship requirements
Disciplines
Physics
Locations
United Kingdom
Nationality
Any
Study experience required
Bachelor
Age
Unknown
Application
Application deadline
20 May 2024
To apply, please complete your application online with the following information:
Course choice – please select Physics / PhD / Full-time / 3 Year / October
Start year – please select 2024
Funding (page 8) –
‘Are you funding your studies yourself?’ – please select No
‘Name of Individual or organisation providing funds for study’ – please enter ‘RS605 - Nanoparticle Manipulation’
*It is the responsibility of the applicant to list the above information accurately when applying, please note that applications received without the above information listed will not be considered for the scholarship award.
One application is required per individual Swansea University led research scholarship award; applications cannot be considered listing multiple Swansea University led research scholarship awards.