This project area is suitable for 3-year PhD in physics. The project does not currently have funding attached, students must be able to fund the fees and their living costs by applying for a suitable scholarship, see https://www.kent.ac.uk/scholarships/postgraduate, or through some another source of funds. Current information on fees is available here.
Polygon mirror based spectral filters provide a versatile method of repeated tuning through broadband spectra, resulting in swept-source functionality with diverse possibilities such as the capability to operate in any wavelength range at speeds of hundreds of kHz and the possibility of running several sources from the same polygon mirror element. These aspects make them suitable for experimenting with different settings for OCT imaging in the laboratory.
Investigating polygon mirror swept sources for use in OCT imaging involves the design and alignment of such PM spectral filters in a holistic way, considering a multitude of aspects related to the telescope which serves to direct light from the dispersive element onto the active polygon facet. Research has shown that the parameters of this entire optical system, such as the focal lengths within the telescope, have a significant effect on the bandwidth and linewidth, as well as the maximum power throughput.
The students working in this area will be carrying out both experimental hands-on lab research and simulations such as:
- Optical design of the telescope optics to minimise aberrations and emphasise key parameters of the optical system, resulting in sharper OCT images.
- Pushing the boundaries of image acquisition rate.
- Implementation of a variety of geometries and image optimisation.
- Software coding to enable image acquisition synchronised with polygon mirror operation.
There is no deadline for the project – applicants will be assessed on a rolling basis – although please note any separate deadlines for scholarships or funding. The candidates must be in place in September 2022. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Dr George Dobre for informal discussions before applying.