University of Oxford Physics

University of Oxford Physics This is the official page for Alumni & Friends of the Department of Physics at the University of Oxfo Many thanks for your cooperation.

The Department of Physics Alumni Relations Office works to develop, nurture and promote a continuing relationship between the Department and its alumni. We also work with current students, staff, researchers and friends of the Department, aiming and enhancing the experience of being part of one of the largest and most successful Departments of Physics in the world. We will be working in developing

a series of events, projects and programmes in order to facilitate interactions and networking, creating relationships that keep growing beyond graduation day. The Alumni Relations officer is Val Crowder, and we welcome you getting in touch with ideas, queries or suggestions. NOTE: ALL POSTS THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS/UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, STAFF/STUDENTS/ALUMNI, OR OF INTEREST TO THE COMMUNITY WILL BE DELETED AND USERS BANNED. The Administrators have the right to delete whatever they do not think suitable for the audience. This would include personal services, politics, religion, discrimination of any kind, topics not related with our work in any way, etc.

11/02/2025

📢 Today we're celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science!
'At present, only 24–25% of physics degree recipients in the UK identify as women+' * And many of them are foreign students coming to study here.. We need more girls doing physics at school!
Share your experiences and tips for youger scientists on the comments below...

* Source: Berry, T., Mordijck, S. Wasted talent: the status quo of women in physics in the US and UK. Commun Phys 7, 77 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-024-01579-9

The Age of AI: Do superhuman systems require a superhuman focus on ethics?Join us at 5.30 pm (GMT) on 26 February for a ...
11/02/2025

The Age of AI: Do superhuman systems require a superhuman focus on ethics?

Join us at 5.30 pm (GMT) on 26 February for a very timely conversation around AI, ethics and governance. With the entrance of DeepSeek into the market, competition around AI is hotting up; will this result in cutting corners on ethics in the race to dominate lucrative markets?

And if corners are cut, what might this mean for our societies and for our democracies?

In the second of our “Age of AI” talks, Professor Shivaji Sondhi is joined by Josh Simons MP for Makerfield.

Josh is former director of Labour Together, visiting research scientist at Facebook AI and author of Algorithms for the People: Democracy in the Age of AI. Follow the discussion and join the Q&A.

You can join us in person at the Beecroft Building in Oxford or online, but *advanced registration is a must* : book by clicking this link: https://lnkd.in/dhnx-eBJ (or via link in bio).

Safety Officer Isabel Dziumak-Hooper completed her apprenticeship in health and safety in January 2025, 18 months after ...
10/02/2025

Safety Officer Isabel Dziumak-Hooper completed her apprenticeship in health and safety in January 2025, 18 months after joining the Department of Physics straight from college.

‘Having completed my GCSEs and embarked upon A-level study, I found that classroom-based learning was not what I wanted to be doing. I discussed my options with my teachers and that is when I started to seriously look into apprenticeships. I was immediately able to narrow down my areas of interest – either business admin or health and safety as they both have good career prospects – and I also knew that if I was going to do an apprenticeship, I wanted to do it at the University of Oxford.

‘The health and safety apprenticeship with the Department of Physics immediately appealed to me. I liked the breadth of experience it offered and also the people I would be working with.

‘From day one, I was working as part of the team. I shadowed the Departmental Safety Officer, David Anderson, as well as the Deputy Departmental Safety Officer, Amy Webb, and so from the get-go was exposed to a wide range of tasks and real-time scenarios. The apprenticeship I chose to do was structured around a monthly Zoom group tutorial as well as a one-to-one call with my tutor. David would also join a call every three months so he was heavily invested and involved too.

‘What worked particularly well was how I was able to work with the department to tailor my on-site work to my tutorial requirements. Where I needed to complete a specific task for my coursework portfolio, David and Amy were able to factor it in in a real-life setting. This really suits how I like to learn – through lived experience rather than just learning the theory of something in the abstract.

‘My apprenticeship in the Department of Physics has exposed me to so many different aspects of health and safety – from lab safety to machinery, from lasers to chemicals and from office management to student welfare. It has been brilliant and was absolutely the right choice for me. I am so pleased to have been offered a permanent post and I am excited to add to my experience and my qualifications – there is so much to learn!’

Oxford University Physics has achieved a major milestone in quantum computing, demonstrating the first instance of distr...
07/02/2025

Oxford University Physics has achieved a major milestone in quantum computing, demonstrating the first instance of distributed quantum computing. By linking two quantum processors via a photonic network, they created a fully connected quantum computer, advancing the field toward solving previously unattainable computational challenges. Results published in today.

Read all about it via link in bio or by visiting:
https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/paving-way-quantum-supercomputers

Oxford University Physics Society

New Denys Firth Scholarship: empowering the next generation of physicists.The Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences ...
07/02/2025

New Denys Firth Scholarship: empowering the next generation of physicists.

The Mathematical, Physical, and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division at the University of Oxford is delighted to announce the establishment of the Denys Firth Scholarship in Theoretical Physics, made possible by a generous £1.52 million endowment from Denys Firth (Oriel College, 1969, Physics). The University formally agreed the scholarship last week, marking a significant investment in graduate education and research excellence.

The Denys Firth Scholarship will provide crucial support for exceptional DPhil students in theoretical physics, enabling them to pursue advanced studies at one of the world’s leading physics departments. This endowment underscores the transformative role of philanthropy in fostering academic excellence and innovation.

Reflecting on his gift, Mr. Firth says: 'As an alumnus of Oxford who benefitted so much from my time spent in the Physics department, I am delighted to assist Theoretical Physics in attracting the most talented postgraduates into the department'.

Read the article in full by clicking link in bio or below:
https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/new-denys-firth-scholarship-empowering-next-generation-physicists

We're thrilled to share that Dr. Patrick Heighway has received the European XFEL Young Scientist Award! This recognition...
04/02/2025

We're thrilled to share that Dr. Patrick Heighway has received the European XFEL Young Scientist Award! This recognition is for his groundbreaking research in measuring X-ray diffraction at extreme pressures and temperatures. His work is essential for advancing a range of scientific fields, including material science, geophysics, and fusion energy.

Dr. Heighway's efforts have also shown his leadership and initiative, playing a pivotal role in major experimental campaigns like the DiPOLE experiment. Congratulations, Dr. Heighway!

To read the full article, click link in bio or visit https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/dr-heighway-recognised-european-xfel

Terahertz pulses induce chirality in a non-chiral crystal.Oxford and Max Planck researchers have shown that terahertz li...
24/01/2025

Terahertz pulses induce chirality in a non-chiral crystal.
Oxford and Max Planck researchers have shown that terahertz light can induce chirality in non-chiral crystals, creating left- or right-handed enantiomers on ultrafast timescales. Published in *Science* (23 January 2025), this discovery opens potential for new applications in ultrafast memory and optoelectronics. The work was supported by the DFG.
Photo-induced chirality in a nonchiral crystal, Zeng et al, Science, 23 January 2025

Read the complete article on our website news' section (link in bio) or by clicking https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/terahertz-pulses-induce-chirality-non-chiral-crystal

What is the event and who is it for?If you are in year 12 (or equivalent) and you are considering studying physics at Ox...
23/01/2025

What is the event and who is it for?
If you are in year 12 (or equivalent) and you are considering studying physics at Oxford, but you're not quite sure about either physics or Oxford, then this event is for you!

We're going to be showcasing some of our favourite bits of the subject through interactive workshops, and talking about what it's like to study here. There'll be a chance to put all your questions to a panel of current undergraduates too. Come and join us!

This event is a repeat of the event scheduled in November 2024 and some of the content of this event will be the same as the Y12 Materials and Physics Day 2024. We recommend that you do not attend this event if you plan to, or did attend, either of these previous events.

Do I need to book?
Yes, you need to register in advance for this event. The deadline for registration is 5pm on Monday the 3rd February 2025.

Please visit the event page for full details - link in bio or https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/events/year-12-physics-taster-morning-february-2025

Applications are now open for over 300 spring micro-internships for Oxford students through the Careers Service. These v...
22/01/2025

Applications are now open for over 300 spring micro-internships for Oxford students through the Careers Service. These voluntary, 2-5 day opportunities, available from 17-21 March or 24-28 March, offer valuable experience to enhance employability. Apply by Sunday, 2 February for the first round of placements.

The programme is open exclusively to matriculated Undergraduate and Postgraduate (Taught and Research) students at Oxford University. Unfortunately, the programme is not open to visiting students, MBA and EMBA students (Saïd Business School).

Read the full details and how to apply -> https://www.careers.ox.ac.uk/micro-internships-sector-list or visit

Last month, researchers from the Quantum Magnetism group published a groundbreaking study in *Nature Communications*. Th...
20/01/2025

Last month, researchers from the Quantum Magnetism group published a groundbreaking study in *Nature Communications*. They synthesized Na₂PrO₃, a rare-earth magnetic material, revealing a unique quantum magnetic state. Their discovery opens new possibilities for understanding quantum spin liquids and unconventional magnetic phases, advancing quantum materials research significantly.
Read the full article in our website physics.ox.ac.uk/news, via link in bio or https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/breakthrough-discovery-magnetic-materials-could-unlock-new-quantum-states

Why are we seeing the Northern Lights more often?Even if you’d never previously given much thought to the Northern Light...
17/01/2025

Why are we seeing the Northern Lights more often?

Even if you’d never previously given much thought to the Northern Lights, chances are they were brought to your attention in 2024, when our social media feeds were set ablaze with beautiful images captured by awe-struck stargazers. Usually restricted to more northerly latitudes, this colourful natural phenomenon could be observed in the UK as far south as Cornwall. But why were we treated to this spectacle, and why now? Dr Carly Howett from the Department of Physics explains why we’re seeing the Northern Lights more often this year, and gives hope to those yet to catch a glimpse.

Listen to Dr Carly Howett on Oxford Sparks' first podcast of the year https://www.oxfordsparks.ox.ac.uk/podcasts/why-are-we-seeing-the-northern-lights-more-often/

Listen to Professor Jayne Birkby on In Our Time on  talking about the habitability of planets; listen now or catch up he...
12/12/2024

Listen to Professor Jayne Birkby on In Our Time on talking about the habitability of planets; listen now or catch up here:

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss ideas about where life may begin in the universe and how.

A festive celebration of science! Oxford Physics presents their annual Christmas Lecture. Mon 9th Dec at 6.30pm, ages 8+...
03/12/2024

A festive celebration of science! Oxford Physics presents their annual Christmas Lecture. Mon 9th Dec at 6.30pm, ages 8+ yrs. Come along for big questions and cool experiments! Book your place here:

The show provides an exciting opportunity for children to learn more about physics. Understanding the different states of matter and how atoms react.

The Superconductivity Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Oxford will be holding an in-person open day for prospective...
20/11/2024

The Superconductivity Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Oxford will be holding an in-person open day for prospective Oxford DPhil applicants on Dec 5. This is an opportunity to meet potential supervisors as well as current members of their research groups and visit some of the different laboratories that are part of the CDT. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, and listen to talks from current students about their experience studying at Oxford.

The Superconductivity CDT is a 4-year PhD training programme funded by EPSRC. The CDT includes training mainly concentrated in the first year of study but also throughout all years. Students will apply for specific research projects from the start of their degree and their research will develop alongside the training programme from the beginning of their degree.

This event is held jointly with the Condensed Matter Physics open day and the event will be posted on the registration website of Oxford Superconductivity.
More info and to register: link in bio/events

OR

Register to attend in person
To register for this in-person event, please complete this form: https://oxfordsuperconductivity.web.ox.ac.uk/superconductivity-open-day-0

Register to attend online
To register for an additional online Superconductivity CDT event on 6 December 2024, please register separately: https://superconductivity-cdt.ac.uk/?page_id=265.

To apply to the Superconductivity CDT
For applications to the Superconductivity CDT in Oxford go to: https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/superconductivity-enabling-transformative-technologies

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