PhD position opening

- Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Nanophotonics for nonlinear light generation and manipulation via dielectric metasurfaces

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Prof. Razzari’s research group at INRS-EMT invites applications for a fully funded PhD studentship in nanophotonics, on the design of novel dielectric metasurfaces for the generation and wavefront manipulation of light via several nonlinear processes (e.g., second and third harmonic generation, as well as spontaneous wave-mixing processes, towards entangled photon pair generation for applications in quantum optics). Metasurfaces are 2D arrays of nanostructures. In the framework of the present project, we intend to (i) design metasurfaces featuring natural (i.e., material-related) and artificial (i.e., geometry-related) nonlinear properties for specific wave-mixing interactions and wavefront manipulations (ii) investigate and optimize the efficiency of nonlinear light generation in stimulated and spontaneous processes, and (iii) characterize the spectral/spatial/polarization properties of these artificially designed wavelength converters.

The successful candidate will design the metasurfaces via numerical simulation software and characterize their response by employing advanced optical techniques.

PROJECT SUPERVISOR

Prof. Luca Razzari (https://inrs.ca/en/research/professors/luca-razzari/) has established a vigorous research program in nanophotonics and is particularly interested in investigating its ultrafast (down to few femtoseconds) and ultra-broadband (from UV to THz) features. For further information on the research activities of Prof. Razzari, please visit https://www.razzarilab.org.

OUR UNIVERSITY

Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is a research-intensive university offering graduate-level training. One of Canada’s leading research universities in terms of research funding per professor, INRS brings together some 150 professors and close to 700 students and postdoctoral fellows in its four multidisciplinary centers located in Montreal, Varennes, Laval, and Quebec City. Conducting fundamental research essential to the advancement of science at the national and international level, INRS research teams also play a critical role in developing concrete solutions to problems facing our society.

OUR LOCATION

INRS-EMT (the INRS Center for Energy, Materials, and Telecommunications) is located in Varennes (Quebec), in the so-called Greater Montreal area (approximately 30-40 minutes away from downtown Montreal by car or public transportation). Many of the faculty members and students everyday commute to INRS-EMT from the city of Montreal. Montreal is the most vibrant and cosmopolitan city in Canada and hosts 9 universities and some 180,000 students from all over the world in its metropolitan area (having the highest proportion of post-secondary students of all major cities in North America). Under a special agreement among these universities, graduate students are permitted to take courses in any university in the city.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION PROCEDURE

We are looking for highly motivated, creative students with a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (physics, physical engineering, electrical engineering or equivalent). They should have willingness to work in a team and undertake independent learning. A good knowledge of written and spoken English is a prerequisite. Previous experience in numerical modeling of electromagnetic processes, ultrafast laser systems, and/or advanced optical setup development will be an asset.

To apply, or for any further information regarding the position, please contact Prof. Luca Razzari ([Email Address Removed]) directly, by sending

1. a cover letter describing the candidate’s research interests and reasons for pursuing a PhD on the proposed topic,

2. a full Curriculum Vitae containing any relevant experience & skills,

3. official transcripts of the candidate’s university grades, and

4. the contact details of at least one professional academic reference.

Only the selected candidates will be contacted by email to arrange an interview.

References

[1] F. Yue, R. Piccoli, M. Y. Shalaginov, T. Gu, K. A. Richardson, R. Morandotti, J. Hu, and L. Razzari, “Nonlinear mid-infrared metasurface based on a phase-change material”, Laser & Photonics Reviews, 15, 3, 2000373 (2021).

[2] F. Yue, A. Aadhi, R. Piccoli, V. Aglieri, R. Macaluso, A. Toma, R. Morandotti, and L. Razzari, “Rotational doppler frequency shift from time-evolving high-order Pancharatnam-Berry phase: a metasurface approach”, Laser & Photonics Reviews, 15, 6, 2000576 (2021).

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- Fully Funded PhD Studentship in Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics for intense few-cycle pulse generation and its spectroscopic applications

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Prof. Razzari’s research group at INRS-EMT invites applications for a fully funded PhD studentship in ultrafast nonlinear optics, for the study of intense few-cycle pulse generation and its spectroscopic applications. In the framework of the present project, we intend to (i) investigate novel means to tailor the nonlinear spectral broadening of ultrafast laser pulses propagating in gas-filled fibers, (ii) suitably select spectral segments of the output light and characterize their temporal properties, and (iii) build a multi-color pump-probe spectroscopy setup that can be applied to a variety of material systems.

The successful candidate will utilize a versatile tool, namely gas-filled hollow-core fibers, which enables new-frequency generation and wave mixing, to establish an advanced ultrafast platform supporting broadband operation in the visible, UV, and near-IR ranges for frequency tunable pump-probe experiments. The student will also develop various diagnostics apparatus to properly characterize such ultrashort pulses.

PROJECT SUPERVISOR

OUR UNIVERSITY

OUR LOCATION

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION PROCEDURE

We are looking for highly motivated, creative students with a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline (physics, physical engineering, electrical engineering or equivalent). They should have willingness to work in a team and undertake independent learning. A good knowledge of written and spoken English is a prerequisite. Previous experience in ultrafast laser systems, optical setup development and/or spectroscopic techniques will be an asset.

To apply, or for any further information regarding the position, please contact Prof. Luca Razzari ([Email Address Removed]) directly, by sending

1. a cover letter describing the candidate’s research interests and reasons for pursuing a PhD on the proposed topic,

2. a full Curriculum Vitae containing any relevant experience & skills,

3. official transcripts of the candidate’s university grades, and

4. the contact details of at least one professional academic reference.

Only the selected candidates will be contacted by email to arrange an interview.

References

[1] R. Piccoli, J.M. Brown, Y.-G. Jeong, A. Rovere, L. Zanotto, M.B. Gaarde, F. Légaré, A. Couairon, J.C. Travers, R. Morandotti, B.E. Schmidt, and L. Razzari, “Intense few-cycle visible pulses directly generated via nonlinear fibre mode mixing”, Nature Photonics 15, 884–889 (2021).

[2] P.A. Carpeggiani, G. Coccia, G. Fan, E. Kaksis, A. Pugzlys, A. Baltuska, R. Piccoli, Y.-G. Jeong, A. Rovere, R. Morandotti, L. Razzari, B.E. Schmidt, A. A. Voronin, and A.M. Zheltikov, “Extreme Raman red shift: ultrafast multimode nonlinear space-time dynamics, pulse compression, and broadly tunable frequency conversion”, Optica 7, 1349-1354 (2020).