Integrated photonic chips are revolutionizing the way information is transmitted, processed, and secured in classical and quantum applications. By manipulating light on a microchip scale, these devices offer unparalleled speed, bandwidth, and energy efficiency compared to traditional bulk optic and fibre-based systems. Although single material platforms such as silicon photonics are now reaching maturity, the full functionality required in systems designs requires the co-integration of multiple materials and devices on a chip.

At the Institute of Photonics we have developed a highly accurate form of transfer printing that enables the pick-and-place integration of micron-scale devices onto Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs). This heterogeneous integration of materials and devices has unlocked new applications in communications, non-linear and quantum optics, but has thus far been limited to adding a single planar device layer to the PIC chips. By utilising the opportunity for 3D micro-assembly, we can target new device geometries, bringing together vertically assembled layers of materials with ultra-fine control of their spatial positions across 3-dimensions and relative rotation. This 3D assembly of micro-optics will enable a new class of optics-on-a-chip not possible through current methods and with wide ranging applications.

This PhD project will focus on the development of the custom transfer printing tools in our state-of-the-art cleanroom facility to enable the manipulation of micron-scale devices in 3D space, creating new forms of on-chip photonic devices. The student will gain expertise in cleanroom microfabrication of PICs and photonic devices, transfer print integration, feedback control systems and automation. Furthermore, the fabricated devices will be characterised in our optical laboratories to validate performance and provide the opportunity for the student to cover the full research cycle from design and simulation, through microfabrication and assembly to testing and measurement.

The student will be part of the Institute of Photonics (IoP), a centre of excellence in applications-oriented photonics research at the University of Strathclyde. Training will include professional development in research communication, project planning, and participation in technical seminars, journal clubs, and group activities.

Institute of Photonics

The Institute of Photonics (IoP), part of the Department of Physics, is a centre of excellence in applications-oriented research at the University of Strathclyde. The Institute’s key objective is to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial applications and development in the area of photonics. The IoP is located in the £100M Technology and Innovation Centre on Strathclyde’s Glasgow city centre campus, at the heart of Glasgow’s Innovation District, where it is co-located with the UK’s first Fraunhofer Research Centre. Researchers at the IoP are active in a broad range of photonics fields under the areas of Photonic Devices, Advanced Lasers and Neurophotonics. Please see our research for more information.

Strathclyde Physics is a member of SUPA, the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance.

The University of Strathclyde has been the recipient of the following awards: UK University of the Year 2026 (Daily Mail University Guide); Scottish University of the Year 2026 (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide); The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education 1996, 2019, 2021 & 2023; University of the Year 2012 & 2019 (Times Higher Education).