Postdoctoral Position

We are currently seeking qualified applicants for a position as a postdoctoral researcher on a new project to build polymer waveguide electrooptic phase modulators for use in microwave photonics. The selected applicant will work closely with Prof. T. E. Murphy at the Univeristy of Maryland and scientists at the nearby Laboratory for Physical Sciences on all aspects of device design, fabrication, characterization, and application.

Project Description

Microwave optical transmission is an important technology for a range of applications, especially antenna remoting and avionics. The objective of this work is to develop a new type of polarization-engineered optical phase modulator that could enable coherent analog optical transmission with unprecedented dynamic range, without requiring additional complexity or control in the transmitter.

Most existing microwave photonic communication systems utilize some form of amplitude modulation to encode the microwave signal onto an optical carrier followed by direct detection of the optical envelope at the receiver. More recently, there has been interest in pursuing coherent modulation and detection techniques, which offer a number of advantages including enhanced sensitivity and tunability. Unlike direct detection, coherent detection systems are sensitive to both the amplitude, phase and polarization state of the incoming signal. This opens up the potential for encoding the microwave signal on the phase of the optical carrier rather than the amplitude. Electrooptic phase modulators are much simpler than amplitude modulators because they do not require active bias control or precise splitting and recombining of the optical carrier.

Date of Appointment

The initial appointment will be for one year, with the possibility for renewal contingent on satisfactory performance and availability of funds. The project is expected to begin in Spring 2007.

Location

The research will be conducted at the University of Maryland in College Park, and at the nearby Laboratory for Physical Sciences.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Polymer Chemistry, Optics or a related field. More important than the technical discipline, we are seeking candidates with the following skills:

Cleanroom fabrication (ESSENTIAL)
Building and measuring integrated optical waveguides (ESSENTIAL)
Polymer device fabrication (desirable)
High-speed electrooptic device fabrication (desirable)
Microwave device engineering (desirable)

Excellent communication skills (written and spoken), and the ability to work closely with others are also particularly important.

Salary

To be decided, commesurate with skills and qualifications.

Application Instructions

Applicants are requested to email the following information to Prof. Thomas E. Murphy (tem@umd.edu):

Cover letter (or email) briefly describing your experience and qualifications as they relate to this project.
CV, listing educational degrees received (or expected) and all prior research experience.
List of relevant publications
Names of 3 references familiar with your research

Informal inquiries are also welcome. There is no deadline for applying, but candidates are encouraged to apply soon for best consideration. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.

Project Sponsor

This project is sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

References

B. M. Haas and T. E. Murphy, "A Simple, Linearized, Phase-Modulated Analog Optical Transmission System", to appear in IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. (2007) [PDF]

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This page was last modified on Thursday July 26, 2007.