Embarking on a Journey of Discovery: My PhD Adventure with MSCA-DN USES2

Welcome, dear readers!

As I will embark on this exhilarating journey as a doctoral candidate with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) USES2 project, I’m thrilled to bring you along through this blog. Over the next three years, I'll share insights into my life and research.

1. A Little About Me

My name is Shaojie Xu. I come from the lesser-known city of Jiaozuo in Henan Province, China. Perhaps you've never heard of Jiaozuo, but it's highly likely you're familiar with Taiji—an ancient Chinese philosophy that has significantly influenced Kung Fu, with one of the most renowned styles originating from my hometown. Isn't that fascinating?

Traveling and reading are passions of mine, enriching my life with adventures and knowledge from around the world. 

My academic journey began at 18 when I was admitted to the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, an institution renowned for its excellence in the electronics domain. There, I pursued a bachelor's degree that balanced both electronics and telecommunications. Following my undergraduate studies, I seized the opportunity to advance my knowledge in telecommunications by pursuing a master's program in France at Institut Polytechnique de Paris. There, I specialized in wireless and fiber optics communications.

2. Now, Onto My PhD

I was honored to receive a fantastic opportunity to pursue my PhD at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. My topic? It's all about developing photonic integrated circuits for optical fibre sensing interrogation, focusing on something called Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. 

3. FBG Sensors: A Quick Intro

To help you understand the workings of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors and their structure, let's look at a schematic provided here.

The schematic illustrates that within the fiber, there's a periodic modulation of the core's refractive index. This modulation—typically half the wavelength of the input light—creates what is known as the Bragg condition. When the light of a specific wavelength meets this Bragg condition, it is reflected back, while light at other wavelengths passes through, essentially remaining transparent.

FBG sensors are primarily utilized to detect variations in strain or temperature. These changes cause the grating's period to expand or contract, which in turn alters the wavelength of the reflected light. This principle makes FBG sensors good tools in civil and aerospace engineering for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), where they monitor the integrity and health of structures.

4. Stay Tuned!

Currently, I have not officially begun my PhD journey as I am still going on the recruitment process. But it will be very soon. Once I officially commence my studies, I look forward to delving deeper and sharing more intriguing insights, including interesting facts and experiences from physical experiments.

Stay tuned for more stories, insights, and the unfolding of my PhD adventure!