Epsrc Centre Doctoral Tender

Funded Value5419247Funded PeriodOct 19 - Mar 28FunderEPSRCProject StatusActiveProject CategoryTraining GrantProject ReferenceEPS0221391This proposal seeks funding to create a Centre for Doctoral Training CDT in Connected Electronic and Photonic Systems CEPS. Photonics has moved from a niche industry to being embedded in the majority of deployed systems ranging from sensing biophotonics and advanced manufacturing through communications from the chip-to-chip to transcontinental scale to display technologies bringing higher resolution lower power operation and enabling new ways of human-machine interaction. These advances have set the scene for a major change in commercialisation activity where electronics photonics and wireless converge in a wide range of information sensing communications manufacturing and personal healthcare systems. Currently manufactured systems are realised by combining separately developed photonics electronic and wireless components. This approach is labour intensive and requires many electrical interconnects as well as optical alignment on the micron scale. Devices are optimised separately and then brought together to meet systems specifications. Such an approach although it has delivered remarkable results not least the communications systems upon which the internet depends limits the benefits that could come from systems-led design and the development of technologies for seamless integration of electronic photonics and wireless systems. To realise such connected systems requires researchers who have not only deep understanding of their specialist area but also an excellent understanding across the fields of electronic photonics and wireless hardware and software.This proposal seeks to meet this important need building upon the uniqueness and extent of the UCL and Cambridge research where research activities are already focussing on higher levels of electronic photonic and wireless integration the convergence of wireless and optical communication systems combined quantum and classical communication systems the application of THz and optical low-latency connections in data centres techniques for the low-cost roll-out of optical fibre to replace the copper network the substitution of many conventional lighting products with photonic light sources and extensive application of photonics in medical diagnostics and personalised medicine. Many of these activities will increasingly rely on more advanced systems integration and so the proposed CDT includes experts in electronic circuits wireless systems and software. By drawing these complementary activities together and building upon initial work towards this goal carried out within our previously funded CDT in Integrated Photonic and Electronic Systems it is proposed to develop an advanced training programme to equip the next generation of very high calibre doctoral students with the required technical expertise resp