Location: Melbourne or Canberra + hybrid Work arrangement
Duration: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - 3 to 4 years
A competitive tax-free stipend: ARC Centre of Excellence rate ($41,555 p/a) + $5,000 p/a topup
About the opportunity
Swinburne University of Technology, in partnership with ARC Centre of Excellence in Optical Microcombs (COMBS) and industry partner Defence Science and Technology Group, is offering a fully funded PhD scholarship to contribute to the advancement of optical frequency comb technologies.
The successful candidate will work within a highly collaborative environment alongside COMBS researchers across all career stages and partner institutions. This PhD offers the opportunity to work on cutting‐edge technologies, supporting candidates in developing skills for diverse career pathways across both academia and industry.
What you'll gain
* Opportunities for industry internships
* Opportunity to apply for internal grant schemes
* Supported attendance at COMBS events like the Annual Centre workshop, theme workshops and PhD network events.
This opportunity is open to domestic and international applicants, including Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents, New Zealand citizens, or international applicants eligible to obtain a valid student visa.
COMBS is committed to achieving gender equity and strongly encourages applications from women and women identifying candidates.
The project
This project explores how optical microcombs, tiny chip‐scale devices that generate highly stable, precisely spaced frequencies of light, can be used to create a new class of high‐performance optical gyroscopes. Gyroscopes are critical sensors for navigation, allowing aircraft, spacecraft, autonomous vehicles, and defence platforms to determine orientation and movement without relying on external signals such as GPS.
Current state‐of‐the‐art gyroscopes capable of navigation‐grade performance are typically large, expensive, and power‐hungry, while smaller micro‐electro‐mechanical systems (MEMS) devices are compact and affordable but limited in sensitivity and long‐term stability. This project aims to bridge that gap by developing a coherent optical source based on microcomb technology that can drive a compact gyroscope with sensitivity approaching, or potentially exceeding, navigation‐grade performance.
The candidate will investigate how the exceptional coherence, stability, and precision of microcomb light sources can improve gyroscope sensitivity, reduce noise, and enable robust operation in challenging environments. This work could unlock a new generation of compact, resilient navigation sensors for autonomous systems, defence applications, robotics, and space systems, helping deliver precise positioning and navigation where satellite signals are unavailable or unreliable.
Supervisory team
The successful candidate will be supervised by leading researchers from COMBS institutions and MOGlabs, including:
* Primary supervisor: Prof. Allison Kealy (Swinburne University)
* Co‐supervisors: Dr Chathura Bandatunga (Australia National University)
* Co‐supervisors: Dr Scott Foster (Defence Science and Technology Group)
Candidate requirements
* Bachelor's degree with First Class Honours (or equivalent) in Electrical Engineering, Photonics, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or related discipline
* A strong interest in optics, sensing systems, and experimental technology development
* Experience in photonics, signal processing, or instrumentation is desirable
* Meet the Swinburne PhD eligibility requirements: https://www.swinburne.edu.au/courses/applying/how-to-apply-research-degree/entry-requirements/
About COMBS
The Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Optical Microcombs (COMBS) brings together seven universities across Australia to advance optical frequency comb technology.
Our centre is driving transformative research across biomedical imaging, communications, precision measurement and astronomy, with the goal of miniaturising optical frequency comb into chips the size of a fingernail.
COMBS is committed to train the next generation of researchers, offering opportunities to work in a collaborative, multi‐institutional environment and contribute to real‐world impact.
COMBS values gender equality, equity, diversity, inclusion, and access, and we recognise the importance of intersectionality. We are committed to creating an environment that embraces and harnesses these intersections to do the best science we can. We invite you to join us to become part of the diverse and inclusive COMBS community.
To apply
Please submit your application via our website. Applications submitted via email will not be accepted.
To be considered, applications must
* Be submitted through the online application portal
* Fill all required fields in the application form
Your application should include
* A cover letter outlining your interest in the project
* A CV
* A copy of your academic transcript
* Email addresses for two referees
Please note
You may apply for more than one PhD project; however, a separate application must be submitted for each project.
Applications Close: Sunday 14 June 2026
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