PhD Studentship in the Radio-Frequency Control of Ultra-Cold Matter (2024)

A fully funded 3.5-year PhD position is available in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Sussex

Type of award: PhD studentship

PhD project

This project concerns theoretical and numerical calculations which will be closely linked to experimental activity with ultra-cold atoms (at micro-Kelvin or nano-Kelvin temperatures).

Three different topologies will be part of the project with potential applications including high precision rotation sensing, tilt sensing, and gravitational sensing. We will consider ultra-cold atoms trapped on shell (or ‘bubble’) surfaces, atoms trapped or guided in rings, and atoms trapped in a small number of potential wells.

A bubble trap is currently active on the International Space Station Cold Atom Laboratory and ring traps for cold atoms have been made by a number of experimental groups. Sussex has expertise in designing bubble and ring traps using magnetic and electro-magnetic fields.  Consideration of Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) will be given: a BEC gives a particularly strong overlap and correlation of atomic matter. The project will examine designs, excitations and the behaviour of vortices in the two principal topologies. It is expected that there will be collaboration with experimentalists and and attention will be given to issues arising from the potential, or actual, realisation of the systems being studied. Interferometry around a ring, or Sagnac interferometry, is a Quantum Technology challenge which can potentially be used for rotation sensing and will be explored in this project together with other approaches.

Amount

• Fully-paid tuition fees for three and a half years.
• A tax-free bursary for living costs for three and a half years (£19,327 per annum in 2024/25).
• Additional financial support is provided to cover short-term and long-term travel.
• If you are not a UK national, nor an EU national with UK settled/pre-settled status, you will need to apply for a student study visa before admission.

Eligibility

Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, at least a UK upper second class degree (or non-UK equivalent qualification) in Physics/Mathematics, or a closely-related area, or else a lower second class degree followed by a relevant Master's degree.

This award is open to UK and International students

Deadline: 19^th April 2024

How to apply

Apply through the University of Sussex on-line system. 

https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/apply/log-into-account

Select the PhD in Physics/Mathematics, with an entry date of September 2024.

In the Finance & Fees section, state that you wish to be considered for studentship EPSRC/2024/01.

We advise early application as the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant can be found.

Due to the high volume of applications received, you may only hear from us if your application is successful.

Contact us

If you have practical questions about the progress of your on-line application or your eligibility, contact mps-pgrsupport@sussex.ac.uk

For academic questions about the project, contact Prof BM Garraway at b.m.garraway@sussex.ac.uk

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