This industrially sponsored EngD will be based at the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics in Glasgow with co-supervision from Strathclyde’s Institute of Photonics. It is part of the Applied Photonics CDT and offers an enhanced stipend in years 2 to 4.

What you’ll be doing

You will develop new methods for structuring and integrating solid-state laser materials using ultrafast lasers and chemical processing. Your work will involve:

• Investigating laser-induced modification of transparent materials and developing etching protocols to produce high-fidelity micro-scale structures.
• Designing optical geometries for pump-beam coupling, guiding and routing within the etched gain media, supported by optical and thermal modelling.
• Building and characterising laser cavities that make use of these fabricated structures, exploring both continuous-wave and pulsed regimes.
• Working as part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team that bridges experimental fabrication, simulation, and device testing.

Why it matters

Combining femtosecond laser inscription with chemical etching opens a new route to manufacturing complex, three-dimensional optical structures which cannot otherwise be easily processed. This capability offers a unique opportunity to improve the thermal handling and power output of commonly used laser media.

The first of the highly regarded Fraunhofer Research Centres to be based in the UK, Fraunhofer CAP specialises in undertaking applied R&D in a range of photonics themes. Based at the University of Strathclyde’s Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow city centre, Fraunhofer CAP’s main remit is to be a key partner to UK companies in the development of state-of-the-art products and processes that will enhance their competitiveness; beyond this, we are proud that our work brings benefits to health, environment and society. We work across many sectors, including wind energy, quantum technology, space, medical, and security.

We are a bright, engaging, welcoming, helpful and diverse team and want like-minded individuals who want to make a difference and really contribute.

Fraunhofer CAP offers a competitive edge when it comes to further career progression through the following:

• Work in a world-class, well-funded and well-appointed research hub, within the innovation district of Glasgow City Centre
• Learn from a talented team of international colleagues through interaction with other projects and students
• Opportunity to develop commercial skills - business development, innovation, leadership through exposure to commercial project partners and programmes
• Wider opportunities to travel and present your research activities
• Access to 1000s of training courses through Udemy – personal and professional development
• 31 days holiday and 11 public holidays

The Industrial Supervisor for this project will be Dr Nicolas Smith (Fraunhofer CAP). Academic supervision will come from the Institute of Photonics at the University of Strathclyde (Prof. Alan Kemp).

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 visit the IoP research page 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).