General statement:

We always welcome passionate and motivated candidates interested in our lab’s work to contact us about potential positions!

At the Xia Lab, we believe that communities—where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and supported—are where groundbreaking ideas and creative achievements are born. We encourage everyone to bring their whole selves to the lab and find space for self-expression through science. If this resonates with you, please get in touch!

Interested candidates can email the PI (fei.xia AT uci DOT edu) directly with your CV and research interests or fill out the online form to discuss research opportunities in the lab.

Prospective Ph.D. students

If you are interested in our lab's work, whether in designing and building optical systems for imaging, sensing, and information processing, or in the computational aspects of our research, or in biomedical applications, I encourage you to apply to our graduate program in Electrical and Computer Engineering. We welcome students with backgrounds in electrical engineering, computer science, physics, biomedical engineering, automation, applied physics, and related fields to apply to our lab.

The deadline for our Ph.D. program is January 15 (priority deadline). Applications will be accepted till January 31. Please check application instruction here. To apply to our lab, please mention my name (Prof. Fei Xia) in the application system (ECE program) and your statement of purpose. This will ensure that I review your materials and consider your application during the process. We typically conduct phone interviews of selected candidates after a full application package has been received in the system. Students can be directly admitted into the lab. Therefore, I highly recommend that you also send me a reminder email (fei.xia AT uci DOT edu) once your application has been submitted.

Prospective postdoc researchers

We are particularly interested in postdoc candidates with experimental experience, preferably with a background in experimental optics. Experience in independently building optical systems, such as optical microscopy, optical imaging, and sensing systems, quantum optics, is a plus.

For postdoc training, we prioritize your career development and aim to create an environment in our lab where postdocs can thrive and grow into independent researchers or future leaders and experts in related industry.

We are also in the network of Cal-bridge scholar program [link]. We welcome prospective postdoc candidate already in/planning to apply to the program to contact us by email.

Master’s students, Undergraduate and High school students

Overall, we always welcome high school, undergraduate and master's students interested in working with us to directly reach out to us through the online form or email.

A bit more details:

For master’s students (at or outside UCI), please directly email us to discuss research opportunities, we host both thesis and non-thesis based research.

For undergraduates, if already enrolled at UCI, there are options such as the UROP program during the semester and the SURP program during the summer to support research experiences for the undergraduates. SURP is also available for domestic students outside UCI for summer research in our lab. We are also in the network of Cal-bridge scholar program — we welcome CSU students in the program interested in working with us to contact us by email. For international undergraduate students outside the US, we have UCInspire summer research program. We encourage students to apply to these programs to also add a bit of prestige in the CV.

For high school students, we typically work with students from OPALS program. Please email if you are interested in other ways working with us.

Visiting students/scholars

We are interested in hosting a few excellent visiting students/scholars in our lab. Please send the CV and research interests to us by email for further discussion.

A bit about UC Irvine and the local area

University of California, Irvine (UCI) is among the top 10 public universities in the United States. Located in Irvine, one of the safest and happiest cities in the country, UCI provides an exceptional environment for both academic and personal growth.

Irvine at a glance:

  • Irvine ranks as the “Safest City” of its size for the past 18 consecutive years (FBI).

  • Location of thousands of multinational businesses — including one-third of all Fortune 500 companies — in a variety of industries such as pharmaceutical, computer, electronics, manufacturing, biotechnology/medicine, design, automotive, and communications. This makes us surrounded by global and national companies, such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Broadcom, Blizzard Entertainment, Edwards Lifesciences, and many fast growing startups in Southern California.

  • Enjoys 281 sunny days per year, with average temperatures ranging from 64° F (18° C) in January to 82° F (28° C) in August.

  • Located next to the famed sailing and surfing beaches of Newport, Laguna, and Huntington and is near Los Angeles, San Diego, and Palm Springs.

  • Home to the renowned Segerstrom Center for the Arts, which offers a wide variety of musical, dance, and theater productions, including national tours of famous Broadway shows.

  • A highly educated population of 281,707 (2020).

  • 16,000 acres of open space preservation (by build out), 63 miles of bike trails, 60 public parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and ecological reserves.

Our lab is proudly affiliated with the world-renowned Beckman Laser Institute, a global leader in advanced optical technologies and interdisciplinary research. UCI’s strategic location also places it close to numerous top research institutes and corporate offices, facilitating easy collaboration with leading experts across various fields.

Beyond academic excellence, Irvine offers a high quality of life with master-planned neighborhoods, top-rated schools for children, and easy access to beautiful beaches, parks, and year-round outdoor activities. The city enjoys consistently good weather, contributing to its high happiness levels and making it an ideal place to live and work. UCI also offers affordable apartment options for students and researchers, ensuring a comfortable living experience close to campus.

We hope to welcome you here at Irvine!

[Check out our photo gallery]