The Hybrid Photonics Laboratory at EPFL is seeking for talented and motivated candidates to work in the field of Integrated Photonics for building fully integrated microcombs for atomic clocks.
This is a part of a European consortium (with UK and Germany) within the QUANTERA funding network.
Atomic clocks are used for precise timing where an accurate knowledge of the absolute time is needed. Based on ultraprecise transitions in atoms, these devices require precise laser control. At the same time, their deployment requires miniaturization away from table-top laser systems towards compact, on-chip laser sources. The aim of this project is a butterfly packaged, soliton-based optical frequency comb (OFC) device which will be used to interrogate a 2-photon Rb based quantum optical clock. Its stabilization requires f-2f frequency locking, and our lab will contribute thin film lithium niobate for this task. Our lab has been making significant progress in developing TFLN photonics for various applications. Building upon these demonstrations, we want to develop periodically poled lithium niobate devices for these metrology tasks.
You will exploit the low-loss thin film lithium niobate photonics platform, which we can fabricate in-house, at EPFL, to realize efficient and low-foot print frequency converters. In parallel, you will study the performance of these devices at frequencies away of the telecom C-band. You will fabricate these hybrid devices in-house at EPFL cleanroom using newly developed fabrication protocols available in the group.
As a successful candidate of a dynamic team, you will shape the future of photonics-based atomic clock technology in our young and dynamic lab. You will push forward our TFLN technology.
You will kick off diverse aspects of the experimental effort: technical (setting up an optical measurement setup design, including multi-frequency setups and custom-tailored mechanical components) and conceptual (develop the theory of frequency conversion inside photonic chips). In the lab, you will learn about integrated and free-space quantum optical technologies and engineering, and nonlinear optics. You will contribute to the automatisation of measurement routines, comprehensive characterisation of fabricated samples and to bridging the area of microwave/terahertz-optical science and technology with the most modern integrated photonic techniques.
