MSc in Photonic Technologies

Innovative solutions for real life problems.

Photonic Technologies MSc

Cover: application of UV light -dual beam direct grating writing - single step inscriptions of waveguides and Bragg gratings The Optoelectronics Research Centre is located in the University’s Mountbatten Building on Highfield Campus. (image courtesy of Andy Vowels)

The University of Southampton is a leading research university in the UK and renowned as a premier engineering university while the Optoelectronics Research Centre has an international reputation in the field of Photonics Technologies.

Many of the major developments in today’s technology were pioneered by our researchers, including the optical fibres and amplifiers that form the hardware backbone of the internet and the fibre laser which is used for a variety of applications ranging from manufacturing to defence.

Our world-leading research centre is a hive of activity with over 170 staff and students working on cutting-edge research to provide innovative solutions for real life problems in manufacturing, communication technology, defence, healthcare, renewable energy and the environment.

Applications are now invited for a new Master of Science (MSc) course which will be accepting its first intake in October 2012, in the area of Photonic Technologies, at the ORC in the University of Southampton.

“Our world-leading research teams are shaping the future, working with a wide range of industries to develop new technologies for communication, healthcare, transport, energy and the environment.�

Professor Rob Eason | Head of MSc Photonic Technologies

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New MSc degree in Photonic Technologies This new MSc is the first Masters programme within the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC). It offers students access to an excellent range of photonics equipment and materials technologies within a vibrant community of researchers, led by some of the leading figures in the field of photonics.

The new MSc lasts one year and will be delivered within Physical and Applied Sciences at the university’s main campus at Highfield.

The course will cover a wide area of photonics, including: – taught modules – practical training in research techniques and modelling – 4 month project Working in our new, state-of-the-art cleanroom complex with access to our extensive range of optical laboratories, you will benefit from integrated transferable skills elements and participation in the ORC’s week long Industry Showcase event, where you will work with leading local and national photonics companies, share their views of the current photonics market and see first-hand their products and emerging photonics technologies.

Whether you intend to gain skills and expertise that will enable you to take up a position in a key industrial sector, or to embark on further postgraduate research, you will find that our MSc course in Photonic Technologies will give you the solid intellectual foundation and hands-on practical and technical skills that you need for a successful professional career in science, engineering and related photonics-based industry.

“We have a spectacular history of innovation – our researchers publish about 200 journal papers per year and enjoy tremendous academic success” Professor David Payne | Director ORC

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Structure The syllabus is designed to ensure that all students are exposed to the key subject areas in photonics and its applications, including leading-edge topics that are driving the photonics agenda, such as: – metamaterials – microfabrication – nanophotonics Optional courses provide an opportunity for choice between light and matter interactions or modelling techniques, and between nanoscience technologies and MEMS sensors. Individual modules are assessed by a mixture of coursework, assignments and examinations, and students must take a total of 60 credits per semester.

The MSc runs for 12 months, with the compulsory and optional taught units taking place in the first two semesters.

Examinations take place at the end of Semester 1 (January), and Semester 2 (May).

If you successfully achieve 120 units of credit, you will progress to the research project, carried out over the summer. The project is an independent and individual investigation into a specific research topic, and will be supervised by senior academic and research staff mainly within the ORC.

The syllabus First semester: total of 60 credit points Compulsory PHYS6005

Lasers

15 credits

ELEC6108

Microfabrication

15 credits

OPTO6001

Photonics laboratory and study skills

15 credits

PHYS3003

Light and Matter

15 credits

MATH6111

Matlab/Numerical Methods

15 credits

Optional

Second semester: total of 60 credit points Compulsory OPTO6002

Solid State and Ultrafast lasers

15 credits

OPTO6003

Photonic Materials

15 credits

OPTO6004

Plasmonics, Metamaterials and nanophotonics

15 credits

PHYS6014

Nanoscience Technology and Advanced Materials

15 credits

ELEC6111

MEMS Sensors and Actuators

15 credits

Your project will involve cleanroom and optical lab work, or in exceptional circumstances can also be a theoretical-only topic.

For project work, students are assigned to one of our relevant research groups, and the individual project will be closely related to the work currently undertaken in that research group.

Students who achieve 60 credits in the semester examinations may exit the programme with a Postgraduate Certificate. Those who achieve 120 credits may exit with a Postgraduate Diploma.

Optional

Third semester: total of 60 credit points Compulsory OPTO6005

Project

60 credits

Speciality heating including Rapid Thermal Annealing and RF induction

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World-class facilities Taking your MSc at the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Centre means that you are starting your career in one of the world’s leading centres for Photonics. You will gain experience in an internationally renowned research facility and benefit from the instruction and inspiration of some of the world’s leading authorities in the field of photonic technologies.

Lasers

Microfabrication

Lasers are at the centre of the photonics agenda, and understanding both laser principles and specific engineering applications of laser sources is fundamental for applied photonics engineers. Within this MSc you will study both of these areas, and will have the opportunity to design, build and use lasers in your project work.

Microfabrication is a fundamental requirement for a wide range of modern photonics technologies.

From the complex optical components and photonic circuits that underpin the internet, to the sub-wavelength scale devices that are the basis for recent developments in metamaterials technology, the ability to fabricate devices and structures at scales that can extend all the way from the few m level right down to the tens of nm level is central to the photonics markets of tomorrow.

Within the ORC we have an extensive range of laser sources that span the soft-xray to the mid infrared spectral regions and from continuous wave sources to ultrafast lasers that emit pulses in the femtosecond range.

In terms of raw laser power, these range from low power, but highly wavelength-specific diode sources that emit a few mW, to large-scale bulk and fibre laser sources, that emit light in the multi-kW range. Your project work will expose you to some of these and their applications in photonic engineering and technology.

You will also have the opportunity to fabricate waveguide and fibre lasers within the cleanroom and optical lab complex, providing you with hands-on experimental expertise in cuttingedge laser techniques.

Image courtesy of Sam Berry

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As well as taking courses in microfabrication techniques, project work will focus on a range of cleanroom techniques that will give you hands-on experience of modern microfabrication technology.

Manufacturing of materials using light, electron beams and ion beams, as well as the techniques of photolithography, material deposition and precision micro-machining and etching will give you the knowledge you need to understand what can be achieved today, and what will be needed for future emerging micro- and nano-manufacturing technologies.

Photonics laboratory Before you start your main project in the third semester, it is important to make sure that you are familiar with a range of practical measurement and laboratory skills in the area of photonics. These will include experiments on linear and nonlinear optics, physical optics, the uses and handling of optical fibres and the characteristics of laser diodes.

You will conduct practical experiments and write up your findings, after which you will give a report and discussion of one of these experiments in the form of a conference-style presentation.

Included in the module is a series of lectures and demonstrations of the use of Labview, which will assist you in your future project work, where automation of lab-based devices and measurements will be an integral part of some projects.

Practicals are undertaken early on in the programme, so that you can build up your laboratory skills at an early stage. This module may be particularly appealing to those students who have not pursued a photonics-based laboratory skills course in their undergraduate studies so far.

Metamaterials and nanophotonics

Project – clean room and optical laboratory work

The field of metamaterials and nanophotonics are closely interlinked.

Nanophotonics is now a major emerging technology. Driven by the dream of untapped device functionality it exploits the interaction of light with nanostructures, at the size scale where optical, electronic, structural, thermal and mechanical properties are deeply interdependent.

The aim is to control light in a minute device containing only a few layers of atoms using signals carried by only a few photons and to do it very fast, within only a few oscillation cycles of the light wave. Metamaterials are artificial electromagnetic media achieved by structuring on a subwavelength scale. This new disruptive technology is now a major source of advances in photonics. Today metamaterials encompass linear, nonlinear, switchable, sensor and gain artificial media with all sorts of unusual and useful functionalities, down to the quantum level.

The Integrated Photonics Cleanroom is a 200m2 Class 1000 facility with local areas of Class 100, designed for planar processing of a very wide range of materials. This research facility gives our MSc students the capability of taking either raw, ORC-made or commercial materials and processing them to fabricate photonic devices for use in applications from telecommunications to all-optical data processing and from biochemical sensing to the lab-on-a-chip. Polishing and scanning electron microscopy are available outside the cleanroom.

The ORC’s extensive range of optical characterisation labs include tunable titanium sapphire and diode lasers, UV laser, waveguide characterisation apparatus, optical spectrum analysers, high-sensitivity electrical impedance spectroscopy, and flowinjection analysis for biosensors.

The course material presented, and the cleanroom-based experimental project work will provide up-to-date knowledge of this rapidly developing technology area.

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Why the ORC at Southampton?

The ORC has excellent relationships with leading industrial companies, research institutes and universities worldwide, providing you with first-class opportunities to put your work into context in real-world environments.

An enviable foundation Whether you wish to pursue an academic career or explore the myriad possibilities in industries underpinned by photonics, studying with the ORC gives you an enviable foundation from which to launch your career. Our alumni are some of the most successful industry leaders, many starting their own companies or pursuing stellar careers academically.

Work in a real laboratory Widely recognised for our inspirational tuition and leadership, we are additionally a world leader in the design and fabrication of specialist optical fibres. You will be working in research labs and gain exposure to fabrication facilities with which few universities can compete. We are highly regarded for our optical components, frequently being asked to supply companies with fibres drawn in our stateof-the-art fibre fabrication facilities.

Getting connected The ORC’s staff and students are extremely well connected, regularly working in collaboration with a number of national and international industry partners including: – BAE Systems – Cisco – DSTL – Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Limited – Pirelli – Qintec – Siemens – Thales

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Our Optical Society (OS) student chapter is highly active at Southampton, organising social and professional events.

Membership provides you with an opportunity to meet your peers, discuss your work and gain exposure to the work of others. As a member you’ll have the opportunity to participate in IONS (International OS Network of Students) bi-yearly conferences, where you could be touring international research centres and broadening your horizons by visiting other countries.

The ORC is heavily involved with Innovation China UK, connecting five UK universities and over 20 Chinese partner institutions with a view to enhancing knowledge exchange and facilitating technology transfer, commercialisation and new collaborative opportunities.

Innovation Our novel research often leads to the invention of new applications and technology. To retain our rights over these developments we file around 20 patents every year.

Commercial success Our innovative research often leads to the development of applications that can be exploited commercially. As a result there is now a ‘light valley’ of photonics companies in the Southampton area that have roots to the ORC. These companies have boosted both the local and UK economy and attracted inward investment. Find out more at www.orc.southampton.ac.uk/ innovation.html

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1. Fibre drawing tower We have our own silica fibre fabrication facility.

Image courtesy of James Gates

2. SNOM image of holey fibre Working with Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy.

3. Bragg grating Planar Bragg grating after etching.

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4. Microresonator structures with in- and out- coupling optical waveguides.

5. Metamaterials Changing the colour of gold with surface inscribed arrays of plasmonic nanostructures

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How to apply Applications for 2012 entry are open now; early application is advisable to avoid disappointment as places are limited.

To apply please visit: www.southampton.ac.uk/pgapply Please ensure that you select Optoelectronics Research Centre under the Academic unit.

Entry requirements The entry requirement for all Southampton MSc programmes is a UK 2.1 or first class bachelors honours degree (or overseas equivalent) in a relevant degree. i.e Physics, Electronics, Engineering, Materials Science or Mathematics. Our postgraduate Masters taught degrees are all advanced programmes (not conversion courses) and therefore you require good background knowledge to apply for this degree programme.

English language requirements The MSc taught modules are lecture-based, so a high level of proficiency is required in English and particularly in the understanding of spoken English.

The preparation of a full-scale technical report (the MSc project report) is a major task that requires advanced ability and knowledge of written English as well as technical expertise.

Overseas students applying for the MSc courses should achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in all scores), or an IB-TOEFL score of 92 (with equivalent individual scores of listening 21, reading 22, speaking 23 and writing 21).

Further details about language requirements at the University.

If you are made an offer of a place, then please note that we require original documentation of any language score report in order to satisfy a language condition.

If you are unable to meet our language entry requirement then pre-sessional English courses of 6, 12 or 15-week duration may be available in the University’s Centre for Language Study. We would advise you of these courses and the costs associated as appropriate.

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MSc programme fees The MSc in Photonic Technologies entails a minimum of two months work within the the ORC’s state-of the art cleanroom complex. The value of this experience is reflected in the fees set for 2012/3: International students £19,800 per year UK/EU students £8,000 per year International MSc scholarships We are delighted to announce that we are offering up to ten scholarships of £3,000 to international fee status candidates who have been offered a place on the MSc in Photonic Technologies starting in September 2012.

To be eligible to be considered for one of these awards, applications for the MSc should be received by 1 of June 2012.

Awards will be allocated on the basis of academic merit and the winners will be announced by the 30 June 2012.

The University’s International Office can assist you with any queries before you apply and during your studies. Further details about entry requirements for international students, including information about additional language courses offered by the University, can be found at www.southampton.ac.uk/international Financial support for MSc courses Unfortunately we are unable to offer any fullyfunded studentships for MSc study. Furthermore, it is not possible to undertake part-time work while following the course full-time. Therefore you will need to be able to provide your own full financial support during the course. Some students taking the course are industrially sponsored, other students obtain financial support from local authorities, from professional institutions such as the IEE or from Career Development Loans. If you wish to obtain such sponsorship, you must make your arrangements independently.

Relevant web links are shown throughout the Photonic Technologies MSc Prospectus.

Please also consult: www.orc.southampton.ac.uk/mscprogramme.html online for further details and/or any changes which have appeared since first publication of the Photonic Technologies MSc Prospectus.

Disclaimer The University of Southampton will use all reasonable efforts to deliver advertised programmes and other services and facilities in accordance with the descriptions set out in its prospectuses, student handbooks, welcome guides and website. It will provide students with the tuition, learning support, services and facilities so described with reasonable care and skill.

The University, therefore, reserves the right if it considers it to be necessary to alter the timetable, location, content or method of delivery of events provided such alterations are reasonable.

Financial or other losses The University will not be held liable for any direct or indirect financial or other losses or damage arising from changes made to the event timetable, location, content or method of delivery of various services and facilities set out herein.

Force majeure The University will not be held liable for any loss, damage or expense resulting from any delay, variation or failure in the provision of services and facilities set out herein, arising from circumstances beyond the University’s reasonable control, including (but not limited to) war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, interruption in power supplies or other services for any reason, fire, boycott and telecommunications failure.

In the event that such circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the University arise, it will use all reasonable endeavours to minimise disruption as far as it is practical to do so. Š University of Southampton 2012 This information can be made available, on request, in alternative formats such as electronic, large print, Braille or audio tape, and in some cases, other languages.

Please call +44 (0)23 8059 7726 to request an alternative format.

Published by Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton

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