Said R. K. Rodriguez

This PhD project at AMOLF investigates how phase transitions can be harnessed for optical information processing . The research asks how proximity to a continuous phase transition can amplify weak optical signals, while also accounting for the trade-off with speed, accuracy, critical slowing down, and enhanced fluctuations. The work builds on recent observations of phase-transition signatures in the nonlinear response of a laser-driven optical cavity containing a perovskite crystal. You will study the spectral and temporal response of this system near the transition, then test controlled time-dependent signals and benchmark optical information-processing operations at different distances from the phase transition. The project combines experiments with theoretical modelling, statistical data analysis, and numerical simulations to identify the governing mechanisms and evaluate when phase-transition physics may offer an advantage for processing certain signals. The position is primarily experimental and includes optical cavity measurements, materials characterization, and, where needed, nanofabrication. It is hosted by the Interacting Photons group at AMOLF, which develops new physics emerging from photon interactions using nonlinear nanophotonic resonators as a testbed for ideas relevant to future optical technologies. The project is a collaboration between AMOLF and Utrecht University , and the successful candidate will split time between both locations while contributing to teaching at Utrecht University and participating in relevant training programs.