PhD thesis scholarship
Thesis tile :

Electro-optic photonic crystal antenna for RF electromagnetic frequency detection

Thesis advisors :

Maria-Pilar Bernal : Research Director CNRS, HDR, Département d’Optique, Institut FEMTO-ST
e-mail : maria-pilar.bernal@univ-fcomte.fr
 

Nadège Courjal : Maitre de Conférences, Université de Franche Comté, HDR, Département d’Optique, Institut FEMTO-ST

Goal:

The measurement and the detection of electric fields and their modulation frequencies can proceed from natural or human activity being a hot research topic with a strong impact in military and/or civilian society.
The main objective of this thesis is the development of nano-optical sensors to detect and discriminate electromagnetic frequencies with sensitivities sub mV/m, an active area of ~ 10m x1mm, and a bandwidth comprised between 100 MHz and 20 GHz.
The sensor will be based on an electro-optically tunable photonic crystal. The material used for the photonic crystal fabrication will be lithum niobate, very well known for its multi-physical properties (it is nonlinear, acousto-optic, electro-optic, piezo-electric, etc.). Slow light geometries will have to be proposed and realized in order to, thanks to the enhanced light-matter interaction; obtain the aimed sensitivities and the desired large band width.

Context:

The thesis will be realized within the nano-optics group at FEMTO-ST institute (www.femto-st.fr) in Besançon (France). This group is a worldwide expert in this field and has published more than 40 papers in lithium niobate nanophotonics in the last ten years.
The thesis is part of a French ANR-ASTRID project financed by the DGA (General Directorate for Armament) called « ESENCYAL » (Electric field SENsors based on electro-optic photonic CrYstALs) that has started in March 2014 for a duration of three years. Maria-Pilar Bernal, the project coordinator will be one of the two thesis advisors.

Candidate requirements:

-A master in physics is required.
-Experience in optics will be greatly appreciated.
-The candidate must speak English and/or French but French language is not necessary.
-The candidate has to be a EU citizen or has swiss nationality.

Salary:

A salary for three years is guaranteed.
The starting date is September 1st 2014.
Net salary will be 1500 euros/month