Current research degree projects
Explore our current postgraduate research degree and PhD opportunities.
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243 research degree projects
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Electronics and Computer Science | Engineering | Physics and astronomy | Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Symmetry-based control of quantum dynamics: from quantum sensing to magnetic resonance imaging
Quantum spin systems may be controlled by the experimentalist using sequences of magnetic fields. In this project, you will design control fields for spin systems using recently developed symmetry theorems. The project involves a combination of theory, numerical simulation, and experiments performed locally and through international collaborations. -
Electronics and Computer Science | Engineering | Physics and astronomy
High resolution sensing and computing for extreme conditions
Aviation is entering a transformative era defined by emerging propulsion technologies, intelligence, and innovations such as quantum technologies. If you are driven to create high-resolution sensing technologies that enable smarter, data-informed decision-making in aviation, this project offers an opportunity to contribute to the next generation of intelligent aerospace systems. -
Electronics and Computer Science | Chemistry and Chemical Engineering | Engineering | Mathematical sciences | Physics and astronomy
Shadow tomography for in-context quantum machine learning
The project brings ideas from the observation of "in-context learning" in large language models into quantum computing. The aim is to design transformer-inspired quantum circuit architectures that brings in-context choice of families of measurement operators for shadow tomography. This contributes to hybrid NISQ quantum-classical algorithms. -
Photonics and optoelectronics
Hyperuniform disordered metasurfaces for solar thermal energy conversion
Harnessing structural disorder to control light offers a new route to highly efficient solar thermal energy harvesting. This project will develop and model hyperuniform disordered metasurfaces, a new class of nanostructured materials that achieve near perfect absorption and minimal thermal losses for next generation solar thermal energy systems. -
Physics and astronomy | Electronics and Computer Science | Engineering
Development of large-area infrared metaoptics technologies
The project will explore the design and fabrication of metasurface-based optical components using advanced full-wafer fabrication tools available in the University of Southampton cleanrooms and use advanced nanophotonics laboratories for testing. -
Photonics and optoelectronics
Antiresonant hollow core optical fibre precision coils
A miles-long glass tube thinner than a human hair enshrouds delicate glass capillaries with sub-micron thickness; this is Antiresonant hollow-core optical fibre, the next generation of fibre technology already creating new fields in data, quantum, sensing and healthcare. This project explores deploying these novel fibres in compact coils for sensing. -
Engineering | Biological sciences | Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Microbial electrochemical process-based flue gas CO2 sequestration
The work aims to develop a modular system for simultaneous CO2 sequestration and platform chemical production from O2 containing flue gas. Optimisation of the central microbial electrochemical process is one of the focuses of this project in order to maximise the performance of the system. -
Engineering | Biological sciences
Anaerobic fermentation for medium chain carboxylic acid production
This project builds on Southampton’s extensive expertise in anaerobic biotechnology for bio-based circular economy. Currently most fatty acid production is from a petrochemical basis, however anaerobic fermentation allows the use of low value feedstocks to co-produce fatty acids and other platform chemicals in a single system. -
Photonics and optoelectronics | Physics and astronomy | Mathematical sciences
Polarization effects in antiresonant hollow core optical fibres
Dive into the mysterious world of polarization in antiresonant hollow core fibres, where conventional wisdom is turned on its head, and unexpected phenomena emerge every day. Through your insights and innovation, you will shape the future of this cutting-edge technology from data centres, to high-power lasers, to space systems. -
Electronics and Computer Science | Engineering
Piezoelectric Nano-Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems (NOEMS) resonators for neuromorphic computing
Physical reservoir computing is attracting much attention as a simple and energy-efficient option of neuromorphic computing and our focus is to use Micro or Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS/NEMS) technologies to meet the system requirements of low-power consumption, high device density for high speed processing, and suitable nonlinearity and memory capacity at the same time.