Postgraduate research opportunities Quantum Technologies: Atomic Clocks

Atomic clocks are a shining example of the power that technology based on atomic physics can have. In the last decades, using atoms laser cooled to the microKelvin regime, the sensitivity of atomic clocks has increase to now being better than one second over the age of the universe. This project, a key node in the £50million Quantum Metrology and Sensors QT Hub, will focus on the construction of an atomic clock in a compact and robust package, utilising holographic technologies developed in our group at Strathclyde. The resulting device will surpass current state-of-the-art in commercial atomic clocks in cost, size, and stability. The successful candidate will gain cutting edge experience in atomic physics, lasers, optics, and vacuum technology.

This project is funded within the UK Quantum Technologies Program, offering a fully funded PhD position within the Experimental Quantum Optics & Photonics group at Strathclyde, lead in collaboration by Prof Erling Riis, Dr Aidan Arnold, and Dr Paul Griffin. The group is closely linked with other Quantum Technology Hubs exploiting Strathclyde’s position as the only University to be involved in all four hubs in both phases of funding.

• J.P. McGilligan, P.F. Griffin, R. Elvin, S.J. Ingleby, E. Riis & A.S. Arnold, Grating chips for quantum technologies, Sci. Rep. 7, 384 (2017)
• J.P. McGilligan, P.F. Griffin, E. Riis, and A.S. Arnold, Diffraction-grating characterisation for cold-atom experiments, JOSAB 33, 1271-1277 (2016)
• J.P. Cotter, J.P. McGilligan, P.F. Griffin, I.M. Rabey, K. Docherty, E. Riis, A.S. Arnold, E.A. Hinds, Design and fabrication of diffractive atom chips for laser cooling and trapping, Appl. Phys. B 122 (2016)
• J.P. McGilligan, P.F. Griffin, E. Riis, A.S. Arnold, Phase-space properties of magneto-optical traps utilising micro-fabricated gratings, Opt. Express 23, 8948-8959 (2015)
• C.C. Nshii, M. Vangeleyn, J.P. Cotter, P.F. Griffin, E.A. Hinds, C.N. Ironside, P. See, A.G. Sinclair, E. Riis and A.S. Arnold, A surface-patterned chip as a strong source of ultracold atoms for quantum technologies, Nature Nanotech. 8, 321 (2013)