Research Fellow in AI for Programmable Fibre-Laser Arrays

The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton is seeking a Research Fellow to join the EPSRC-funded Smart Fibre-Optic High-Power Photonics (HiPPo) Programme. HiPPo is developing a new generation of intelligent, reconfigurable and scalable high-power fibre-laser systems, combining advanced photonics with artificial intelligence and computational optimisation.

This position will focus on the development of AI-enabled programmable coherent fibre-laser arrays. You will investigate how the spatial properties of coherent optical fields can be measured, predicted and controlled, combining experimental photonics with numerical modelling and modern machine-learning and optimisation techniques.

The research will include coherent beam combination, programmable beam shaping, optical propagation modelling, experimental control of phase and amplitude, and the development of computational methods for optical inference and optimisation. Depending on the research direction, approaches may include deep learning, reinforcement learning, differentiable modelling and inverse design. You will implement and evaluate these methods using experimental optical systems and work towards their application in high-power fibre-laser arrays.

You will join a multidisciplinary team within the HiPPo Programme and work closely with researchers in fibre lasers, coherent optics, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing. You will be expected to conduct independent research, analyse experimental and computational results, contribute to the development of experimental systems, publish high-quality research and present your findings nationally and internationally.

You will have a PhD or equivalent professional qualifications and experience in photonics, optoelectronics, physics, engineering or a closely related discipline. You should have a strong practical research background in photonics or lasers together with experience of scientific programming and numerical modelling. Experience in coherent optics, coherent beam combination, programmable optical systems, fibre lasers, machine learning or computational optimisation would be particularly valuable.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are central to the ethos of the University of Southampton. We particularly encourage applications from groups currently under-represented within engineering and physical sciences. Full consideration will be given to flexible working arrangements and to applicants who have taken a career break.

The University of Southampton is one of the UK's leading research-intensive universities. The ORC is an internationally recognised centre for photonics research, providing an outstanding environment for research spanning optical fibres, lasers, photonic systems and emerging applications.

To informally discuss the position, please contact Dr Ben Mills: bm602@orc.soton.ac.uk.