时间晶体：用于下一代数据处理的新物质状态

该项目研究时间晶体及其在信息处理中的潜力，通过“时间电子学”技术探索能够在不同状态间转变的纳米机械元件，以用于逻辑计算。研究内容将包括实验光子学、计算建模及纳米制造技术，旨在开发具有竞争力的数据处理技术，且要求申请者具备物理学或相关领域的背景。

About the project Time crystals are an eagerly sought phase of matter with unique functionalities. This project will explore the exciting physics of time crystals and the foundations of ‘timetronics’, an information and data processing paradigm relying on the unique characteristics of this sophisticated yet esoteric state of matter. The earliest computers, from the abacus to sophisticated clockwork calculators, were mechanical and digital. They dominated computation well into the twentieth century. Why did electronics ultimately prevail? It’s advantage was the transition to the nanoscale, where transistors enabled fast operation, dense integration, scalable manufacturing, and cascaded binary Boolean logic. Can mechanical computers also be scaled to the nanoscale, and if so, could they compete with electronic architectures? As the central building block for mechanical computation, based on the concept of a time crystal, we examine the ‘timetron’: a nanomechanical element switched by light between two dynamical states of motion – rest and sustained oscillation – encoding logical ‘0’ and ‘1’ states for timetronic data processing. Based on the timetron, key logical and memory elements can be implemented, at femtojoule-level switching energies, and with only a few femtowatts of optical power required to sustain the logical state. Our Nanophotonics research group is a multinational team of students, postdoctoral and academic staff working together on various aspects of cutting-edge nanophotonics research. We explore, develop and demonstrate the physics and technology of novel materials and light-matter interaction phenomena at sub-wavelength scales, with wide-ranging applications potential e.g. in optical metrology, sensing, super-resolution imaging, data processing, and advanced manufacturing. Our work is supported by large research grants (currently totalling >£20M) from the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) is a world-leading photonics research organization. With over 90 state-of-the-art laboratories and a diverse community of around 200 researchers working in all areas of optics and photonics, it provides an outstanding interdisciplinary environment for postgraduate students. Our extensive training programme provides knowledge and skills through photonics lectures, training for report writing, project management, time management, presentation skills and full safety training for your research area – all essential life skills for the next step in your career. Find out more about photonics and optoelectronics at the University of Southampton. Within this project, you will have opportunity to develop advanced skills in experimental photonics, computational electromagnetic modelling, nanofabrication, the application of machine learning and AI, and electron and optical microscopy. Our students typically publish several papers in leading academic journals and present their work at a number of major international conferences, as their research progresses. The School of Optoelectronics (ORC) is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.

入学要求 您必须拥有英国2:1荣誉学位或其同等国际学位，且所学专业属于以下领域之一： 物理学 光学 光子学 纳米材料科学 或相关紧密的学科领域

资助：竞争性资助 学费与资助 该项目由 EPSRC 研究项目“用于实现可持续未来的三维纳米尺度超材料（‘MetaHub’）”（524703101）资助。 我们为英国本土学生和国际学生提供多种资助机会。符合条件的学生可通过“地平线欧洲”学费减免，自动免除国际学生学费与英国本土学生学费之间的差额。 资助采用滚动授予方式，因此请尽早申请，以尽可能增加进入资助评选的机会。 如需更多信息，请访问我们的研究型研究生资助页面。

如何申请 您需： 选择课程类型（研究型）、2027/28学年、工程与物理科学学院 选择全日制或非全日制 搜索博士项目 PhD ORC（7097） 在申请表第2部分填写导师姓名 申请材料应包括： 您的CV（个人简历） 2份学术推荐信 截至目前的学位课程成绩单和证书 英语语言资格证明（如适用）