Project to start Oct 2025.

In a quantum many-body system the interactions between the constituent microscopic particles lead to emergent macroscopic phenomena. Such phenomena include superfluidity (fluid flow without viscosity) and superconductivity (conduction of electricity without resistance). Novel phases such as high-temperature superconductivity form the basis of quantum materials, where useful emergent properties can lead to new technologies. Studying the dynamics of vortices (quantum whirlpools) can give key insight into the inner workings of these systems. Superfluids formed of ultracold atoms provide an extremely clean and well-controlled system for studies of collective quantum behaviour. They enable exquisite control over interactions, geometry, and rotation (vorticity). Importantly, in superfluids formed of mixtures of ultracold atoms we can tune the interactions to emphasize quantum effects such as fluctuations.

 A key aim of this research project is to explore regimes where the behaviour of the superfluid depends on its inherent quantum nature. This will drive our fundamental understanding of superfluidity as a collective quantum phenomenon. The successful student will join the Quantum Fluids research team, run by Dr Kali Wilson. They will work closely with the supervisor and other team members on a state-of-the-art experimental apparatus designed to explore vortex dynamics in binary superfluids. The apparatus is currently being developed, and a major focus of the Phd project will be design and implementation of optical systems for controlled vortex nucleation in the superfluid mixture.

The successful student will also acquire practical skills in the areas of quantum technologies, optics and atomic physics. These skills include working with lasers, designing optical systems, high-resolution imaging and image processing, cooling and trapping atoms, as well as electronics and mechanical design.

Informal inquires can be made to Dr Kali Wilson, kali.wilson@strath.ac.uk

For more information on our recent research see the group webpage at https://bit.ly/QuantumFluids

Information on Strathclyde’s EDI policies can be found here https://www.strath.ac.uk/professionalservices/accessequalityinclusionservice/equalitydiversity/

The University of East London (UEL) invites applications from highly qualified and motivated students for 3 Excellence PhD Studentships starting in September 2024. The Research Excellence PhD Studentships are the premier postgraduate merit studentship at UEL and provide full tuition fees and a generous stipend.

The School of Education and Communities (EDUCOM) is a leading institution in the field of education, offering exceptional programs in areas such as Global Development, Politics and Sociology, Social & Community Work, Early Childhood & Education, and Teacher Education & Training.

University of East London

The University of East London, established in 1898, aims to advance industry 5.0 careers-first education and create a balanced, inclusive, and green future. Its research is impact-led, intellectually stimulating, and socially relevant, influenced by East London's urban transformation. The Research Excellence PhD Studentships are central to the University’s strategy to enhance research volume, quality, impact, and part of our investment in people, culture, and environment. UEL offers a comprehensive Researcher Development Programme (RDP) tailored for postgraduate research students. The programme consists of three main strands:

Researcher-Ready: This training strand helps PGRs to navigate their doctoral journey by developing essential skills in research design, theory, ethics, and academic writing.

Empowering Researchers: This strand of the RDP focuses on peer-to-peer mentoring, ideas sharing, wellbeing, and community.

Pioneering Researchers: This strand of training focuses on employability skills, entrepreneurship, and knowledge exchange for academic, industry, alternative career paths.

EDUCOM Research Centres & Thematic Research Areas

EDUCOM promotes innovation and collaboration through interdisciplinary approaches. The school's research centres- Centre for Social Change and Justice, Centre for Wellbeing, Community, and Inclusion, and Centre for Migration, Refugees and Belonging, serve as hubs for innovation and collaboration. These centres address societal challenges, promote research collaborations, and foster connections between academia and the community, focusing on critical thematic areas, such as:

• Early Childhood Education: Exploring innovative approaches to early childhood education, including pedagogical strategies, curriculum development, and the impact of early interventions on children's development and learning outcomes.
• Education and Wellbeing: Investigating the intersections between education, psychosocial approaches, and wellbeing, focusing on factors affecting student well-being, mental health support systems, and the role of education in holistic development.
• Social Justice, Equality, and Diversity: Investigating issues related to social justice, equality, and diversity, with a focus on addressing systemic inequalities and promoting inclusive practices within diverse communities.
• Communities and Community Development: Examining processes of community engagement, empowerment, and social change, with an emphasis on fostering resilient and sustainable communities through collaborative initiatives and participatory approaches.
• Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Researching sustainable practices and policies to achieve the UN SDGs, including environmental conservation, social equity, economic development, and global partnerships.
• Digital Inequalities: Examining disparities in access to digital technologies, digital literacy, and the impact of digital inequalities on social inclusion, educational attainment, and economic opportunities, with a focus on addressing digital divides and fostering digital equity.

For candidates interested in learning more about our school-specific research expertise and opportunities for supervision, and informal enquiries, please contact Sanzida Akter (s.akter@uel.ac.uk).

Eligibility

• Applicants must have at least 2:1 degree in Social Sciences, Education, or any cognate area (or an overseas qualification that can be deemed equivalent), and
• Masters degree (Merit) in a relevant field (or an overseas qualification that can be deemed equivalent).
• The applicant must have a minimum IELTS Academic score of 7.0 overall and 6.5 in all components, typically two years prior to application, if English is not their first language.

How to apply

Please email the following as ONE PDF document to educomschooloffice@uel.ac.uk

• Research proposal should include a research question, proposed methodology and preliminary timeline (not more than 1500 words).
• A personal statement detailing your motivation to pursue this research and your potential contributions to the school's research environment (not more than 300 words).
• Short CV highlighting your recent experience and skills.
• Your degree certificates, transcripts, and proof of English language proficiency.
• Details of two referees. At least one referee must be an academic referee from the institution that conferred your highest degree.

Closing date for applications is May 2, 2024. Interviews week commencing May 20, 2024. If you are successful at the interview and offered a studentship you will be directed to complete the UEL application process.

Materials that allow the rapid motion of ions are essential for the new energy technologies needed to meet the challenge of net zero, such as batteries, fuel cells and electrolysers for green hydrogen. We have recently discovered a new lithium solid electrolyte that changes previous understanding of how to design fast ion transport in solid state materials (Science 383, 739, 2024). This project will explore the enormous range of possibilities for the synthesis of new lithium- and magnesium-ion conducting materials based on this discovery. It will combine synthetic solid-state chemistry, advanced structural analysis, and measurement of the conductivity and electrochemical properties of the new materials, enabling the successful candidate to develop a diverse experimental skillset. The student will participate in the selection of synthetic targets as part of a multidisciplinary team that combine artificial intelligence and computational methods with chemical understanding to design new materials – the process that led to our recent discovery, which the student will have the opportunity to participate in and improve.

The project is based in the Materials Innovation Factory (https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/materials-innovation-factory/) at the University of Liverpool. The project will make use of tools developed in the multi-disciplinary EPSRC Programme Grant: “Digital Navigation of Chemical Space for Function” and the Leverhulme Research Centre for Functional Materials Design, that seek to develop a new approach to materials design and discovery, exploiting machine learning and symbolic artificial intelligence, demonstrated by the realisation of new functional inorganic materials. Examples include the first tools to guarantee the correct prediction of a crystal structure (Nature 68, 619, 2023), and to learn the entirety of known crystalline inorganic materials and guide discovery (Nature Communications 12, 5561, 2021). We recently developed machine learning models based on the largest dataset of experimentally measured Li ion conductivities to yield an easy to use tool that assist experimenter decision in material target selection (npj Computational Materials 9, 9, 2023). You will thus gain understanding of how the artificial intelligence and computational methods developed in the team accelerate materials discovery, and be able to contribute to the development of these models, which are designed to incorporate human expertise.

As well as obtaining knowledge and experience in materials synthesis, crystallography and measurement techniques, the student will develop skills in teamwork and scientific communication, as computational and experimental researchers within the team work closely together. A recent outcome example of these successful collaborations includes the discovery of new Li ion conducting oxide argyrodites which demonstrate enhanced stability over sulphide materials (Journal of the American Chemical Society 144, 22178, 2022). There are extensive opportunities to use synchrotron X-ray and neutron scattering facilities.

Applications are welcomed from students with a 2:1 or higher master’s degree or equivalent in Chemistry, Physics, or Materials Science, particularly those with some of the skills directly relevant to the project outlined above. Experience in structural characterisation of inorganic materials or electron microscopy is an advantage.

Please ensure you include the project title and reference number CCPR097 when applying.

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/

We want all of our staff and Students to feel that Liverpool is an inclusive and welcoming environment that actively celebrates and encourages diversity. We are committed to working with students to make all reasonable project adaptations including supporting those with caring responsibilities, disabilities or other personal circumstances. For example, If you have a disability you may be entitled to a Disabled Students Allowance on top of your studentship to help cover the costs of any additional support that a person studying for a doctorate might need as a result.

Enquiries & Applications

Informal enquiries should be addressed to Dr Claridge (j.b.claridge@liverpool.ac.uk).

Please apply by completing the online postgraduate research application form here:

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/.

Please ensure you quote reference CCPR097 in your application.

Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 01 October 2024.

Project Description

Microplastics (<5 mm) are contaminating our food and mineral water. They been found in human stool, gastrointestinal tissue samples and blood samples, highlighting that ingestion of plastic is resulting in uptake into internal organs. A meta-analysis has suggested that humans could ingest up to 5g of microplastics per week. Many of these microplastics are likely to weather during their transit through the gastrointestinal tract, releasing nanoplastics (<1000 nm) that have a higher bioavailability compared to the larger plastics. Despite the evidence of plastic ingestion, the effect this has on the gastrointestinal tract remains unclear.

The presence of plastics in food could be contributing to inflammatory pathophysiological conditions, a large proportion of which are commonly attributed to “unknown” environmental factors. For example, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has an environmental component, and its prevalence has increased in line with the large-scale production and use of plastics. Such conditions have an altered gut environment (e.g., luminal pH), which will alter the toxicity and accumulation of microplastic and nanoplastic exposure and enhance inflammation. The effect of microplastic and nanoplastic exposure on the gut under pathophysiological conditions in humans has not been investigated.

This project aims to provide novel insights into the impact of plastic particles on the gut health using in vitro cell methodologies. Specifically, the dose-dependent effects and inflammatory response will be measured, as well as quantify nanoplastic uptake into the cells. This project will use an interdisciplinary approach to understand microplastic and nanoplastic toxicology and accumulation.

Supervisors

• DoS: Dr Nathaniel Clark (nathaniel.clark@plymouth.ac.uk, tel.: 01752 587544)
• 2^nd Supervisor: Dr Lee Hutt (lee.hutt@plymouth.ac.uk)
• 3^rd Supervisor: Dr Raul Bescos (raul.bescos@plymouth.ac.uk)

Eligibility

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject or a relevant Masters qualification. Knowledge of either Biology, Cell culture and/or Toxicology is desirable.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent.

The studentship is supported for 3 years and includes full Home tuition fees plus a stipend of £18,110 per annum 2023-24 rate (2024-24 rate TBC). The studentship will only fully fund those applicants who are eligible for Home fees with relevant qualifications. Applicants normally required to cover International fees will have to cover the difference between the Home and the International tuition fee rates approximately £13,244 per annum 2024-25 rate.

NB: The studentship is supported for three years of the four-year registration period. The fourth year is a self-funded ‘writing-up’ year.

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Dr Nathaniel Clark at nathaniel.clark@plymouth.ac.uk .

To apply for this position please click go to our website.

Please clearly state the name of the DoS and the studentship project that you are applying for on the top of your personal statement.

Please see here for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application.

For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our How to Apply for a Research Degree webpage or contact the research.degree.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

The closing date for applications on 08 May 2024 at 15.00. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview in the week commencing 03 June. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications. Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Applications are invited for a three-year PhD studentship. The studentship will start on 1 October 2024.

Project Description

Nematodes, rotifers and tardigrades are microscopic animals with some very unusual biological characteristics which allow some of them to survive extreme stresses, including complete desiccation (anhydrobiosis), radiations and extreme temperatures. To survive, they use several molecular mechanisms, including DNA protection and repair, antioxidants and other protective molecules. These fascinating animals have also evolved to live in environments teeming with micro-organisms, but the interaction between these two types of organism is not fully understood. This project will investigate the innate immune response of micrometazoans during bacterial infection, including an exploration of the role of antimicrobial peptides, small peptides that specifically target and inhibit bacterial growth. The project will also investigate the microbiome of micrometazoans: members of the stable microbiome may also secrete antimicrobial compounds to regulate the growth of other competing bacteria, providing a further source of antimicrobial candidates. These topics will be investigated using both lab-based and bioinformatics approaches and antimicrobial discovery pipelines.

This is an exciting exploratory project that will involve the development of novel methods and requires both bioinformatics and lab skills. The appointed candidate will be required to work independently and show initiative during the PhD. Desirable skills include previous experience working with micro-metazoans such as nematodes, rotifers and/or tardigrades, microbiology, molecular biology and other lab skills (including, but not limited to, PCR, RT-qPCR, western blotting and microscopy), antimicrobial discovery and characterisation, experience in bioinformatics and/or coding.

Supervisors

• DoS: Dr Matthew Banton (matthew.banton@plymouth.ac.uk)
• 2^nd Supervisor: Dr Chiara Boschetti (chiara.boschetti@plymouth.ac.uk)
• 3^rd Supervisor: Professor Mathew Upton (mathew.upton@plymouth.ac.uk)

Eligibility

Applicants should have a first or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject or a relevant Masters qualification.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum English requirements for the programme, IELTS Academic score of 6.5 (with no less than 5.5 in each component test area) or equivalent.

The studentship is supported for 3 years and includes full home tuition fees plus a stipend of £18,110 per annum 2023/24 rate (2024/25 rate TBC). The studentship will only fully fund those applicants who are eligible for Home fees with relevant qualifications. Applicants normally required to cover International fees will have to cover the difference between the Home and the International tuition fee rates (approximately £13,244 per annum 2024/25 rate).

NB: The studentship is supported for three years of the four-year registration period. The fourth year is a self-funded ‘writing-up’ year.

If you wish to discuss this project further informally, please contact Dr Matthew Banton, matthew.banton@plymouth.ac.uk.

To apply for this position please visit our website.

Please clearly state the name of the studentship that you are applying for on the top of your personal statement.

Please see here for a list of supporting documents to upload with your application.

For more information on the admissions process generally, please visit our How to Apply for a Research Degree webpage or contact the research.degree.admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

The closing date for applications on 22^nd April 2024. We regret that we may not be able to respond to all applications. Applicants who have not received a response within six weeks of the closing date should consider their application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnership

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship, to be undertaken at Imperial College London (Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department) and the National Gallery (Scientific Department). This studentship will be jointly supervised by Professor Pier Luigi Dragotti at Imperial College London (ICL) and Dr Catherine Higgitt at the National Gallery (NG). The student will be based at ICL and will spend concentrated periods of time at NG. This is an exciting interdisciplinary project involving close collaboration between engineers with expertise in machine learning and image processing, heritage scientists, conservators and curators.

Summary of Project:

In the cultural heritage sector, there is a long tradition of using complementary imaging techniques to further understanding of artworks, looking at and below their surface. The imaging techniques (or modalities) used include visible images taken at different magnifications, images taken using different forms of radiation (e.g. infrared reflectograms and X-radiographs) and images derived from datacubes generated using newer spectroscopic imaging techniques such as macro X-ray fluorescence scanning (MA-XRF) and reflectance imaging spectroscopy (RIS). These multimodal datasets contain a wealth of information which when properly exploited offer unprecedented insights into the creation and history of Old Master paintings, including conservation and deterioration. This work provides new knowledge and discoveries that can be communicated in a very visual way to the public, including through a range of digital media, enhancing their engagement with paintings.

The generation of huge bodies of data using different imaging techniques poses new image processing challenges that cannot be addressed with traditional approaches. Images needs to be registered and they are often at very different resolutions. Further, there is the possibility to take advantage of the existence of many different image modalities available for a particular artwork. The aim of the project is therefore to develop Machine-Learning (ML)-based registration and resolution enhancement workflow for imaging data from artworks allowing information transfer across scales and modalities.

Funding:

The studentship is open to both Home and International applicants and covers home level tuition fees and a stipend of approximately £21,500 per year (tax-free).

International students will need to pay the difference between overseas and home fees. The PhD studentship starts in October 2024 and is for four years (full-time) or up to eight years (part-time). The student will receive additional support towards further research expenses over the course of the research studentship, including support to attend international conferences.

Eligibility:

Applicants must have a good first degree (usually a minimum 2:1) or Masters degree (or equivalent experience) in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related areas. They should be highly motivated individuals with a keen interest in conducting interdisciplinary research. Students must also meet the eligibility requirements for Post Graduate Studies at Imperial College London and UKRI terms and conditions for funding: https://www.ukri.org/manage-your-award/meeting-ukri-terms-and-conditions-for-funding/

Further Information and application:

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Dragotti (p.dragotti@imperial.ac.uk) or Dr Higgitt (catherine.higgitt@nationalgallery.org.uk). Please apply for Post Graduate studies at Imperial College London here indicating Professor Dragotti as chosen supervisor. The application should include a covering letter, and your CV.

Closing Date: 2nd June 2024

This is a project in the broad area of applied and numerical analysis for geometrical partial differential equations with applications to cell biology.

The shape taken by biological cells as well as a variety of cellular functions are known to be regulated by the interplay between proteins on the cell membrane as well as the curvature of the membrane. It is widely accepted within the literature that the stationary state of lipid membranes are given by minimisers of the Canham-Helfrich energy. This energy depends on geometric quantities, as such, analysis is rather difficult. Over recent years, more tractable energies have been derived which approximate this energy for membranes ‘near’ to critical points [1,2]. With these energies, some analysis and numerical analysis [3,4] is possible.

This project seeks to develop the numerical analysis related to these approximating energies, as well as to consider optimal control problems which consider proteins embedded within, or attached to, the membrane. The project would be suitable for a student interested in some, or all, of the following areas: geometric PDEs, PDEs on surfaces, finite element methods, numerical analysis and mathematical biology.

·      C.M. Elliott, C. Gräser, G. Hobbs, R. Kornhuber, and M.-W. Wolf. A variational approach to particles in lipid membranes. Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis, 2016.

·      C.M. Elliott, H. Fritz, and G. Hobbs. Small deformations of Helfrich energy minimising surfaces with applications to biomembranes. Mathematical Models and Methods in Applied Sciences, 2017

·      C.M. Elliott, L. Hatcher, and B. Stinner. On the sharp interface limit of a phase field model for near spherical two phase biomembranes. Interfaces and Free Boundaries, 2022

·      C.M. Elliott and P.J. Herbert. Second order splitting of a class of fourth order PDEs with point constraints. Mathematics of Computation, 2020

Amount

·      Fully-paid tuition fees for three and a half years at the home fee status.

·      A tax-free bursary for living costs for three and a half years (£18,622 per annum in 2023/24).

·      Additional financial support is provided to cover short-term and long-term

travel.

·      If you are not a UK national, nor an EU national with UK settled/pre-settled

status, you will need to apply for a student study visa before admission.

Eligibility

Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, at least a UK upper second class degree (or non-UK equivalent qualification) in Physics/Mathematics, or a closely-related area, or else a lower second class degree followed by a relevant Master's degree.

This award is open to UK and International students

Deadline

1^st June 2024

How to apply

Apply through the University of Sussex on-line system.

https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/apply/log-into-account

Select the PhD in Physics/Mathematics, with an entry date of September 2024.

In the Finance & Fees section, state that you wish to be considered for studentship MPS/2024/HER

We advise early application as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant can be found.

Due to the high volume of applications received, you may only hear from us if your application is successful.

Contact us

If you have practical questions about the progress of your on-line application or your eligibility, contact mps-pgrsupport@sussex.ac.uk

For academic questions about the project, contact Dr Philip Herbert at p.herbert@sussex.ac.uk.

Supervisory Team: Dr Yasir Noori, Prof Frederic Gardes, Prof Jize Yan

Project description: This project is part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Quantum Technology Engineering at the University of Southampton. In addition to the research project outlined below you will receive substantial training in scientific, technical, and commercial skills.

Existing techniques to encrypt data in our Internet networks are vulnerable to being easily breakable by emerging quantum computers. IBM has recently released a 1000 qubit quantum computer and the challenge of finding alternative techniques to encrypt our data is becoming ever more urgent. Fortunately, quantum cryptography is a suitable solution to overcome this challenge. However, quantum cryptography requires unique lasers that can emit single photons and entangled photon pairs.

In this PhD project, you will use two-dimensional (2D) materials as single-photon light sources. Strain and defect engineering in 2D materials can result in in-gap discrete energy levels in the electronic structure of the material, leading to the creation of single and entangled photon sources. The wavelength can vary from visible to near IR depending on the chosen material. Once the photo-emitters are generated in the 2D materials, they can be transferred onto almost any arbitrary substrates including silicon photonic circuits (waveguides, couplers, photonic crystal cavities, etc.), making them an even more attractive candidate for on-chip photon sources. Key challenges will be understanding the nature of the single and entangled photon emission in this family of materials and tailoring their properties to their potential usage in quantum communications.

If you are interested, please contact the supervisor for more information: Yasir Noori, y.j.noori@soton.ac.uk

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing date: 31 August 2024. Applications will be considered in the order that they are received, the position will be considered filled when a suitable candidate has been identified.

Funding: We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students, including Bursaries and Scholarships.For more information please visit PhD Scholarships | Doctoral College | University of Southampton Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.

How To Apply

Apply online: HERE Select programme type (Research), Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, next page select “PhD Quantum Tech Eng”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor.

Applications should include:

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

Supervisory Team: Dr Adrian Nightingale

Project description: This project is part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Quantum Technology Engineering at the University of Southampton. In addition to the research project outlined below you will receive substantial training in scientific, technical, and commercial skills.

Colloidal quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals that sit in between molecular and bulk materials. Their small size (typically <10 nm in diameter) are comparable to the material’s Bohr radius, leading to quantum confinement of excitons and size- and composition-tunable optoelectronic properties. Compared to other quantum-confined nanostructures (e.g. epitaxial quantum dots, wires or wells) they have the advantage of being solution-processable, which makes them well suited for mass production of devices.

In this project you will look at methods for efficiently producing device-quality quantum dots ready for making the quantum technology devices of the future. In particular, you will look at combining flow reactors with inline optical analysis methods and computer control, taking advantage of recent developments in reactor technology and algorithms to control reactions and explore reaction parameter space. You will autonomous reactors that can continuously produce high quality quantum dots, monitor the quality of them as they are produced, and independently determine optimum reaction parameters.

If you are interested, please contact the supervisor for more information: Adrian Nightingale a.nightingale@soton.ac.uk

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing date: 31 August 2024. Applications will be considered in the order that they are received, the position will be considered filled when a suitable candidate has been identified.

Funding: We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students, including Bursaries and Scholarships. For more information please visit PhD Scholarships | Doctoral College | University of Southampton Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.

How To Apply

Apply online: HERE Select programme type (Research), Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, next page select “PhD Quantum Tech Eng”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor.

Applications should include:

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

Supervisory Team: Prof Ali Elham

Project description: This project is part of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Quantum Technology Engineering at the University of Southampton. In addition to the research project outlined below you will receive substantial training in scientific, technical, and commercial skills.

Topology optimisation is one of the most powerful engineering design technologies. It is superior to shape and size optimisation as it can theoretically create an optimum object from scratch. There is an ever-growing interest in using topology optimisation in industries for different design problems. An ultimate example is aircraft configuration design. After more than a century of aviation, we still do not know what the optimum configuration for a flying vehicle is. In other words, if we want to transport a given amount of payload over a given distance using state-of-the-art technologies, how should the flying vehicle shape to e.g., minimise energy consumption and in-flight emissions? A topology optimisation technology might be able to answer this question. We have developed a technology for creating flying vehicle configurations using topology optimisation. However, it is still in very early development stages, i.e., it works for the aerodynamic design of micro-air vehicles at very low speeds. However, we need a few million design variables coupled with high-fidelity aerodynamic analysis for such a basic design. Extension of this technology towards more realistic design problems means the need for a few billion design variables coupled with multi-physics (e.g. fluid-structure interaction) solvers. The computational costs of the state-of-the-art technologies for multi-physics topology optimisation are prohibitive for such applications.

Quantum optimisation algorithms are in the early development stages; however, they showed promising potential for accelerating complex optimisation problems. This project aims to investigate the development and application of dedicated quantum optimisation algorithms to solve topology optimisation problems relevant to aerospace design.

If you are interested, please contact the supervisor for more information: Ali Elham a.elham@soton.ac.uk

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing date: 31 August 2024. Applications will be considered in the order that they are received, the position will be considered filled when a suitable candidate has been identified.

Funding: We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students, including Bursaries and Scholarships. For more information please visit PhD Scholarships | Doctoral College | University of Southampton Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.

How To Apply

Apply online: HERE Select programme type (Research), Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, next page select “PhD Quantum Tech Eng”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor.

Applications should include:

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

The University of Southampton is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking to study part time. The University of Southampton takes personal circumstances into account, has onsite childcare facilities, is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.