Research Fellow- Horizon Europe Pathfinder project- FAST

Cyber Security Academy Southampton; Southampton; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Southampton’s Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher to advance high-resolution pattern transfer and microfabrication methods, enabling ASE mitigation nanostructures on sapphire.

You will work in a collaborative team, contribute to interdisciplinary projects with consortium partners across Europe, and document results clearly while managing project tasks.

Qualifications

• Postdoctoral candidate with a strong grounding in physical sciences.
• Ability to plan and justify long‑term research focus.
• Strong documentation and communication of results.

Responsibilities

• Develop high-resolution pattern transfer and microfabrication methods.
• Collaborate with a team and manage project tasks.
• Contribute to interdisciplinary research and international collaborations.

Job description

The University of Southampton is committed to excellence in all we do, applying our insights and inventiveness to solve the most complex societal and environmental challenges. As a world-leading, research-intensive university, with a strong and high-quality educational offering, we are renowned for our innovation and enterprise and are within the top 1% of universities worldwide.

What You’ll Do

• Innovate: develop scalable electron-beam lithography processes to fabricate ASE mitigation photonic nanostructures on sapphire or equivalent substrates
• Collaborate: work with a dynamic team and engage in interdisciplinary research
• Experiment: gain hands‑ons experience with cutting-edge electron-beam lithography and plasma etch fabrication techniques, laser characterisations, and honing your practical skills
• Explore: help develop a deeper understanding of how to produce high-quality ASE mitigation nanostructures integrated to REDS crystals and scale to practical dimensions.

We’re seeking a capable and resourceful postdoctoral candidate eager to dive into laboratory work to develop high-resolution pattern transfer and microfabrication methods to create these novel optically active sapphire elements. You’ll have a solid grounding in physical sciences with an eagerness to understand and solve key challenges. You are a self‑starter, able to organise own research activities effectively who is able to plan and justify focus on extensive research that will result in impactful outputs. The successful candidate will have an ability to clearly document and communicate research results.

You must be able to work effectively in a team and organise time, tasks and responsibilities with other team members. Experience in project management will be an advantage.

In This Project You’ll Have Access To

• State-of-the-art facilities: access to top-tier resources, cleanrooms, and materials‑characterisation suites
• Interdisciplinary research: collaborate with experts within the university and beyond
• International collaboration: work closely with consortium partners across Europe towards ambitious project goals.

For informal enquiries, please write to Professor Harold Chong ([e-mail]) or Dr Jacob Mackenzie ([e-mail]).

Further details can be found on the European Commission Fact Sheet: FAST

The post will be held in the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) (http://ecs.soton.ac.uk) in collaboration with the Optoelectronics Research Centre (http://orc.soton.ac.uk).

Electronics and Computer Science provides a unique, friendly and supportive environment that facilitates use‑inspired and multi‑disciplinary research, education, training and outreach.

ECS holds an Athena SWAN Silver award in recognition of its’ continued commitment to improving equality for women in science and engineering. ECS provides a unique, friendly and supportive environment. We have a range of staff development programmes and a unique mentoring and wellbeing scheme.

To find out more about working at ECS, visit: https://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/workinghere

The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and being a globally responsible university and has recently been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.