Fibre temperature sensing with photon counting

The School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow is seeking a highly motivated graduate to undertake an exciting 3.5 year PhD project ‘Fibre temperature sensing with photon counting’.

This project focuses on a new type fibre optic temperature sensor offering a unique combination of high spatial resolution, accurate temperature determination and fast read.  A pulse of infrared light is launched into a test fibre and the faint return signal produced by Raman scattering is sampled at the single-photon level using high performance superconducting nanowire detectors.

By comparing the weak Raman scattering signals at frequencies above and below the launch frequency, the temperature can be extracted.  The temperature profile along the fibre can be determined via a time of flight method exploiting the high timing precision of the superconducting detectors.

This measurement technique holds promise for practical temperature monitoring: initial demonstrations have shown that temperature along the fibre can be determined with centimetre precision in a few metres of fibre.  In this project the goal will be to carry out more ambitious real-world engineering demonstrations in collaboration with industry.  This technique is potentially useful for monitoring temperatures in large structures such as buildings and pipelines, or in mechanical objects with moving parts.

Key Publications

Other information:

Funding

This studentship is supported by the School of Engineering, and will cover home tuition fees and provide a stipend of £13,726 per annum for 3.5 years.

Start date

This position will be filled as soon as possible.

Qualifications

First class Bachelors or Masters degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics or Materials Science.  Additional research experience is welcomed.

How to Apply

Applicants should send a CV, contact details and 2 references on headed paper, to Prof. Robert Hadfield:

To gain admission to our postgraduate programme an application for admission as a postgraduate research student must be made to the Graduate School of the College of Science and Engineering:

http://www.gla.ac.uk/research/opportunities/howtoapplyforaresearchdegree/applyonline/