PhD Studentship in Metamaterials

Studentships are part of the UK’s Centre of Doctoral Training in Metamaterials (XM2) based in the Departments of Physics and Engineering on the Streatham Campus in Exeter. Its aim is to undertake world-leading research, while training scientists and engineers with the relevant research skills and knowledge, and professional attributes for industry and academia.
About XM2
Metamaterials are fabricated microstructures having properties beyond those found in nature. They are emerging as an important new class of materials with applications in many technology areas, from energy harvesting, through perfect imaging, to the much-hyped ‘cloaking’. Having recruited 37 new PhD researchers in its first two years, the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (XM2) hosted by the University of Exeter (www.exeter.ac.uk/metamaterials) will admit its third cohort of 14-18 PhD students in September 2016.
Exeter has a well-established and strong track record of relevant research, spanning a unique mix of interests. We will run projects in the following fields:
- Plasmonics and graphene photonics, including localisation of light at the nanoscale, graphene-based detectors and sources and energy harvesting.
- Natural photonics, including the exploration of metastructures and the biomimetics of natural structures.
- THz and Microwave metamaterials, including tuneable structures, imaging, surface waves, absorbers, energy harvesters and antennas
- Magnonics and Magnetic metamaterials, including spintronics and magnetodynamics
- Acoustic metamaterials, including airborne and SONAR, metasurfaces, composite materials and absorbers.
- Spatial transformations, including the application of theory to electromagnetic and acoustic problems
- Nanomaterials and nanocomposites, including carbon-based structures and nanocellulose.
- Quantum metamaterials, including the exploitation of coherent quantum dynamics to control electromagnetic waves
The first year of the studentship includes an assessed, stand alone project, and a substantial programme of training. Students will choose from a wide range of taught modules, and participate in academic and personal development skills-based workshops, together with creativity events and conference-style meetings. The cohort will also be expected to disseminate their results to the international community via high-impact publications and international conferences. They will spend time working with our academic and industrial partners. Full details of the programme are available here, or email: metamaterials@exeter.ac.uk for a copy of our prospectus and annual report.
The University of Exeter is a top 10 UK university, a global top 100 university, and a member of the elite Russell Group of institutions. The University has committed itself to a substantial expansion in its science base and within Physics and Engineering, over £10m has been spent on infrastructure since 2008 and the fields of electromagnetic materials, nanomaals and graphene have seen 25 new academic staff appointed.

Funding information

Funding applies to:

Open to applicants from a range of countries

Funding notes:

4-year studentship: Tuition fees and an annual stipend equivalent to current Research Council rates for UK/EU students; Tuition fees only for International students

Contacts and how to apply

Administrative contact and how to apply:

For further information and details of how to apply please see here.

Application deadline:

8 January 2016