CDT in Applied Photonics - Heriot-Watt University

Celebrating the success of SUSSP81!

Read about our summer school held in Stirling in June 2025

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Supervisor training

Read about our annual training event for CDT supervisors

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2023/24 Annual Report

Read about the Centre's most recent achievements in our 2023/24 Annual Report

View annual report

Welcome to our 2025-26 cohort!

Prospective Students

Our four year programme places our research students on industry inspired projects leading to award of PhD or EngD. The EngD qualification is an alternative to a traditional PhD aimed at students seeking a career in industry, and reflects the innovative nature of industrial research.

Students spend around 75% of their time working directly with a company, in addition to receiving advanced-level training from a broad portfolio of technical and business courses.

Academic & Industrial Partners

The research projects will offer benefits to your company by:

Increasing the research portfolio in a cost-effective way
Providing access to University laboratories and facilities
Creating opportunities to make contacts with other sponsor companies

Aiding the retention of existing staff who wish to study for a doctorate degree and continue with their employment

Available EngD & PhD Projects

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Sculpting Light: Femtosecond Laser Inscription and Chemical Etching of Laser Gain Media

PhD
EngD

Company: Fraunhofer

University: University of Strathclyde

Supervisor: Professor Alan Kemp

Project DescriptionWhat the project offers:This EngD offers the chance to explore how light itself can be used as a precision tool for materials engineering. You will investigate the combined use of femtosecond laser inscription and chemical etching to create three-dimensional structures from laser gain media; and demonstrate the construction of...

Next-Generation Underwater Optical Wireless Communication (UOWC) and Sensing

PhD
EngD

Company: Fraunhofer

University: University of Strathclyde

Supervisor: Dr Sujan Rajbhandari

Project DescriptionJoin the next revolution in global communications — connecting the seabed to space through emerging 6G and beyond technologies. This EngD offers the opportunity to develop innovative underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) systems that enable high-speed, real-time data transfer for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and...

High Stability, High Sensitivity Diagnostic Spectroscopy for use in Materials Ageing Trials

PhD
EngD

Company: AWE

University: Heriot Watt University

Supervisor: Professor Derryck Reid

Project DescriptionInfrared (IR) sensing of gases has widespread applications in Industry, Medicine and Atmospheric monitoring. Due to its non-invasive nature and the distinct absorption ‘fingerprint’ each molecule has, the obtained in situ measurements are a reliable and sensitive method of detecting chemical species. Pair this with the use of optical...

Hybrid manufacturing of photonic devices for advanced sensing applications

PhD
EngD

Company: Fraunhofer

University: Heriot Watt University

Supervisor: Dr Richard Carter

Project DescriptionThere is an immediate need for new hybrid photonic devices to translate breakthrough optical sensing techniques into practical field portable sensing systems. You will investigate and utilise the synergies between two emerging rapid prototyping techniques: Ultrafast laser inscription (ULI) and precision CNC milling to achieve this important advance. ULI...

Quantum-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy for Advanced Molecular Sensing

PhD
EngD

Company: Fraunhofer

University: University of Strathclyde

Supervisor: Dr David Li

Project Description The successful candidate will join Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics (Fraunhofer CAP) — the UK’s leading applied photonics research organisation — and pursue development of next generation Quantum Raman Spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy provides unique molecular “fingerprints” for chemical and biological sensing, but its inherently weak signal limits sensitivity...