Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) within hollow-core fiber for next-generations optical communication

Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) within hollow-core fiber for next-generations optical communication

The Department of Applied Physics and Electronics at Umeå University is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within Applied Physics for a project that aims to develop hollow-core optical fibers for future optical communication. The postdoctoral scholarship is full-time for 2 years starting May 1, 2025, or by agreement. The deadline for application submission is February 24, 2025.

Project description  
The Internet is enabled by a network of silica fibers with a step-index profile. Since the invention of optical fiber 50 years ago, its design has not been radically changed. During the last 10 years, it has been discovered that a new class of hollow-core fiber (HCF) can potentially provide several key advantages over conventional fibers, including lower propagation loss, lower latency (due to the faster light speed in air), lower nonlinearity and dispersion, and the liberty of choosing light frequencies in a wider spectral range. These HCFs are based on anti-resonant reflection by sub-micron-thick silica membranes. Despite breakthroughs, significant challenges still remain in both HCF design and fabrication. Further development of HCFs requires fundamental understanding of light-guidance principle as well as material properties of extremely thin silica membranes. In this project, you as a postdoc will carry out:

• detailed theoretical studies of light guidance in HCFs, and thermo- and fluid dynamics under fiber-drawing processes;
• experimental investigations of material properties of ultra-thin silica membranes (through e.g. transmission-electron microscopy); and
• characterization of fabricated HCFs (on both structural and optical transmission properties).

There exist opportunities for being involved in the HCF fabrication process.

The scholarship is for two (2) years and is funded by the Kempe Foundations. The tax-free scholarship amounts to 720 000 SEK in total (360 000 SEK annual average) and is usually paid out as four separate payments during scholarship period.

Qualifications  
To qualify as a postdoctoral scholarship holder, the candidate is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirements must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about scholarship recipient.

Priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree before that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organizations, military service, or similar circumstances, or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area.

Doctoral degree should be in a subject relevant to the project, such as Physics.

Fluency in English, both in oral and written forms, is mandatory.

The candidate should have a strong interest in physics, especially optics, and basic knowledge of material science.

It is meriting to have one or more of the following skills/qualities:

• experience and/or thorough understanding of theoretical/numerical methods for simulating optical phenomena
• experience in fabrication and/or characterization of micro- or nanostructures
• hands-on experience with fiber-optic transmission experiments

We are looking for candidates who are highly motivated, goal-oriented, capable of critical thinking, able to positively handle constructive feedback, and willing to collaborate with other members in a team.

Application  
A complete application should include:

1. A cover letter summarizing your qualifications, your scientific interests, your motives for applying, and how you feel you meet the essential and meriting criteria (max 2 pages);
2. Curriculum vitae (CV) with publication list;
3. Copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation that clarifies when the degree of doctor is expected to be obtained;
4. Copy of doctoral thesis (PDF or a download link);
5. Copies of other diplomas (master and bachelor studies);
6. A list of university courses with grades (transcripts). Note that for international applicants the grading system should be explained in brief;
7. Contact information of at least two reference persons;
8. (optional) Other documents that the applicant wishes to supply.

The application, including attached documents, must be written in English or Swedish. Documents sent electronically must be in PDF format. The application is made through our electronic recruitment system Varbi. The application closing date is 24 February, 2025.

Further information 
For more information, please contact Max Yan (max.yan@umu.se), or head of department Britt Andersson (britt.andersson@umu.se).

We look forward to receiving your application!