Job Opportunities
Research Fellow - Dielectric Metamaterials
| Salary: | £27,854 to £34,223 |
| Closing Date: | Sunday 09 June 2013 |
We are seeking a brilliant and highly motivated post-doctoral researcher to work on the programme as a Project Leader for Dielectric Photonic Metamaterials. You will have a keen interest in studying the fundamental physics of metamaterials and in developing their functionalities from the proof-of-principle stage to practical applications. A background in experimental photonics research and experience in nanofabrication will be required. Expertise in solid state physics, nanophotonics or nano/micro-electromechanical systems research and computational modelling will be advantageous. The ability to work as part of a highly interactive interdisciplinary research team will be essential.
Initial appointment will be for 2 years from July 2013 or shortly after. The appointment will be made in the Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton. For informal enquiries please write to the Programme Director Prof. N. I. Zheludev, Optoelectronics Research Centre (niz@orc.soton.ac.uk).
The closing date for applications is 2 June 2013. Please apply online through www.jobs.soton.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx?ref=235213EH or alternatively telephone 023 8059 2421 for an application form. Please quote vacancy reference number 235213EH on all correspondence.
Other postdoctoral positions may be advertised through http://jobs.soton.ac.uk/.
PhD Studentships
Projects are available in the areas of:
Reconfigurable photonic metamaterials
Metamaterial films of nanoscale thickness provide a unique opportunity for energy-efficient photonic devices with tunable and switchable optical properties. We will control metamaterial optical properties by mechanical deformation of the nanostructure, driven by electrical and optical forces. The project will involve advanced nanofabrication, optical characterization and modelling.-
Dielectric optomechanical metamaterials
Experimental realization of new concepts for low-loss photonic metamaterials to control and manipulate light on the nanoscale and for optically-controlled actuation of nano-mechanical structures. 
Super-focusing and beam shaping with metamaterials
Planar metamaterials change the phase and amplitude of a light beam transmitted through them. By varying the metamaterial parameters across a planar structure, we can vary the amplitude and phase across a laser beam. This project will create a toolkit to allow arbitrary amplitude and phase control and therefore produce meta-devices capable of realising previously impossible-to-manufacture super-focusing lenses.-
Metamaterials for optical data processing
Metamaterials form an exciting platform for controlling light. By combining them with cutting edge beam shaping techniques and ultrafast lasers, we will develop a system for 2D optical data processing, that will have applications in the next generation of all optical networks and optical computing chips. 
Manipulating free-electron-to-light energy coupling at the nano-scale
In nanophotonics, free electrons provide unique opportunities in pumping or probing nanophotonic structures with their unrivalled broadband and localized excitation capability. This project will explore the active manipulation of the energy transfer between free electrons and photons in various photonic nanostructures, aiming at developing novel nanoscale light sources.-
Metamaterials with tailored nonlinear optical properties
Metallic nanostructures can be designed to provide almost any linear optical properties. However, despite recent reports of orders-of-magnitude nonlinearity enhancements in metamaterials, it is still very difficult to realize structures with designed nonlinear optical properties. This project will explore the links between nonlinear and linear properties through quantum mechanical analysis, numerical simulations, nonlinear metamaterial nanofabrication and femtosecond optical characterization. 
Controlling metamaterial properties with liquid crystals
This project will develop novel active (and nonlinear) metamaterials based on liquid crystals. Liquid crystals possess arguably the largest and most broadband optical nonlinearity amongst natural materials, making them ideally suited as key functional component of active photonic metamaterials. The project will include the nanoscale design and fabrication of hybrid liquid-crystal-based metamaterials that allow electric and all-optical tuning and switching of their electromagnetic properties.
Graphene tunable metamaterials
Graphene, an atomically thin layer of carbon atoms, has emerged as a promising novel platform for plasmonics and metamaterials. This project focuses on the linear and nonlinear optical properties of nanostructured graphene with the view of developing a new generation of dynamically tunable THz metamaterials.
For details contact Prof. Zheludev or Dr. Plum (contact details).
For applications see http://www.orc.soton.ac.uk/phdprogram.html link