Postgraduate courses in physics

Co-ordinators:  Prof Chris Dunsby, Dr Mary Matthews, Dr James McGinty, Prof Mark Neil

Photonics MRes students will be examined on the compulsory modules from the MSc in Optics and Photonics programme that are given in the first term: Optical Measurement and Devices (Prof C Dunsby, Prof C Paterson); Lasers (Prof M Damzen, Prof C Dunsby); Imaging (Prof C Dunsby, Dr J McGinty); In addition students are required to complete the Optics Laboratory module demonstration and standard experiments, also taken in the first term.

Students may optionally take Optics and Photonics elective modules that are recommended to them in respect of their research areas. The actual module selection depends on the precise research topic but these will typically include:

Term 1: Optical Communications Physics (Prof C Dunsby).

Term 2: Optical Design (Prof M Neil); Laser Technology (Prof R Smith, Dr R Murray); Opto-electronic Devices (Prof C Phillips); Biomedical Imaging (Dr M Matthews); Fibre and Ultrafast Laser (Dr R Murray, Dr T Runcorn).

Co-ordinator:  Prof L J Frasinski

The aim of this course is to provide training in experimental and theoretical methods used in the research of the Quantum Optics and Laser Science (QOLS) community. The course consists of two parts:

Introductory overviews (1-hour each, Autumn Term)

• Ultrafast laser science, Prof John Tisch
• Attosecond measurement, Prof Jon Marangos
• High power laser research, Prof Roland Smith
• Probing electron dynamics in small molecules, Prof Leszek Frasinski
• Inner shell processes in molecules and clusters, Dr Vitali Averbukh
• Laser cooling and trapping of ions in radiofrequency and Penning traps, Prof Richard Thompson
• Quantum Information and metrology with trapped ions, Prof Richard Thompson
• Laser cooling of molecules, Prof Ben Sauer
• Experimenting with single photons, Dr Steve Kolthammer
• Quantum optics, Prof Myungshik Kim
• Cold molecules, Dr Mike Tarbutt
• Quantum information, Dr Florian Mintert
• Quantum optomechanics, Dr Michael Vanner 

Detailed extensions (4-hour each, Autumn/Spring Term)

• Non-linear optics, Prof Geoff New
• Ultrafast strong-field interactions in molecules, Prof Jon Marangos
• Photoion and photoelectron spectrometry, Prof Leszek Frasinski
• Ultrafast laser technology, Prof John Tisch
• Theoretical methods for strong-field dynamics, Prof Misha Ivanov
• Inner-shell physics, Dr Vitali Averbukh

The extensions are accompanied by problems set as homework. The lecture notes and problem sheets are available on Blackboard.

Co-ordinator: Prof. M Foulkes

Our postgraduates are expected to attend weekly community seminars and at least one Condensed Matter Physics, Complexity & Networks, or Thomas Young Centre research seminar every week. During the course of a PhD, all students will give at least two presentations at community seminars.

First-year PhD students must also attend relevant lecture courses amounting to 25 hours or more, identified in consultation with their supervisor(s). The courses are expected to be at MSc or MSci level and may be offered by the Department of Physics, specific research community, other departments, or other academic institutions.

We encourage supervisors to help new PhD students identify a self-contained research project that can be completed before the Early Stage Assessment in month 12. This usually becomes the germ of the rest of the PhD.

Co-ordinator:  Dr M Connolly

MATTER organizes a Postgraduate Seminars Series in the areas of Plastic Electronics, Plasmonics, Functional Magnetism, and Superconducting Devices. These seminars are led by members of Staff and Research Fellows with contributions also from senior research students and provide a broad overview and introduction to contemporary research topics in Solid State Physics at Imperial. All students are expected to attend the EXSS PG seminar series, which are held each week during term time on Wednesdays at 10-11am on Teams.

The community also organizes frequent research seminars and a small number of Condensed Matter Colloquia with the Condensed Matter Theory and through the year. Student are encouraged to attend all research seminars and colloquia.

For the full timetable and further details, please refer to the EXSS website https://www.imperial.ac.uk/experimental-solid-state

Coordinators: Dr N Wardle and Dr P Dunne

Introductory Courses

Computing (Prof D Colling, Dr A Richards)

Statistics (Dr N Wardle,  Prof A Heavens)

Instrumentation (Prof A Tapper)

Presentation Skills (Prof M Patel)

Core courses

Introduction to Quantum Field Theory (Dr J K Sedgbeer)

Relativistic Quantum Mechanics (Prof P Dauncey)

Symmetries & Groups (Dr P Dunne)

Standard Model – electro-weak sector & QCD sector (Prof E Leader)

Topical Courses

Collider Physics (Dr N Wardle)

Flavour Physics (Prof M Patel)

Neutrinos (Dr M Scott)

Particle Astrophysics (Prof H Araujo)

Accelerators (Dr J Pasternak)

Accelerators and hardware courses (Dr J Pasternak)

Accelerators and hardware courses

Accelerators (Dr J Pasternak, Dr J Pozimski)

HEP Skills

HEP and entrepreneurship (Dr J Hassard)

Accelerated processing for big data (Prof A Tapper, Dr A Rose)

Co-ordinator: Dr M Archer and Prof SPD Mangles

The Space, Plasma & Climate (SPC) physics community consists of three distinct pillars: Space Physics, Climate Physics, & Plasma Physics. SPC’s postgraduate lectures aim to give all incoming PhD students a basic physical understanding of breadth of research in community, provide detailed background across their research field (beyond simply their PhD topic), and train students in common methods and techniques across the community. The lectures are split into three series.

Overviews

Basic introductions to space, plasma & climate physics concepts. Mandatory for all SPC students.

Lecture topics include Intro to Space Physics, Intro to Climate Physics, Intro to Plasma Physics

Disciplinary

Pillar-specific physics and methods of the broader research field. Mandatory within pillar (optional otherwise).

Space lecture topics include Heliosphere, Planetary Magnetospheres, Planetary Ionospheres, Planetary Atmospheres

Plasma lecture topics include Magnetic Fusion, Inertial Fusion, Laboratory Astrophysics, Z pinches, Laser Plasma Interactions, Kinetic Plasmas, Plasma Accelerators, Plasma Diagnostics, High Power Lasers, Atomic and Radiation Physics, Shocks

Climate lecture topics include: Python for Climate Physics, Atmospheric Circulation, Atmospheric Composition, The Carbon Cycle, Climate Change

Cross-cutting themes

Common themes & methods across pillars. Optional with a minimum of 4 required.

Lecture topics include Time-series Analysis, Fluid Simulations, Kinetic Plasma Simulations, Instrumentation, Earth Observation & Space Missions, Machine Learning.

For more information please visit the Microsoft Teams channel: Space, Plasma and Climate Community - PH | PhD lectures | Microsoft Teams

UNIVERSE - Astrophysics

Co-ordinator:  Dr B Leistedt

Lectures for Postgraduates in astrophysics cover a variety of topics, from disks and exoplanets to data analysis, in mixed formats (theory or hands-on). More information can be found in the program (link provided upon request). The lectures are scheduled for Thursdays 2-4pm. We also expect all postgraduates to attend the weekly astrophysics seminars on Tuesday afternoons and our lunch-time journal club on Monday. More information will be available on the group web pages and at http://astro.ic.ac.uk/content/information-current-pg-students.

Co-ordinator:  Prof A.J. Tolley

Postgraduate students may choose to sit in on lectures for the Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces MSc, in particular the special topics lectures. The theory group runs several regular seminar series including String Theory seminars and Particle cosmology seminars. We expect all postgraduates to attend the weekly theoretical physics group colloquium which takes place on Tuesday afternoon.

Co-ordinators:  Dr N Wardle & Prof D Colling

Statistical Methods for Experimental Physics; Practical Data Analysis and Machine Learning in the Physical Sciences; Accelerated processing for big data analysis; Research Project.

Co-ordinators:  Prof Chris Dunsby, Dr Mary Matthews, Dr James McGinty, Prof Mark Neil

Optical Measurement and Devices (Prof C Dunsby, Prof C Paterson); Lasers (Prof M Damzen); Imaging (Prof C Dunsby, Dr J McGinty); Optical Communications Physics (Prof C Dunsby); Optical Design (Prof M Neil); Laser Technology (Prof R Smith, Dr R Murray); Opto-electronic Devices (Prof C Phillips); Biomedical Imaging (Dr M Matthews); Fibre and Ultrafast Laser (Dr R Murray, Dr T Runcorn).

Co-ordinator:  Prof. A.J. Tolley

Particle Symmetries (Prof J Gauntlett); Quantum Field Theory (Prof T Wiseman); Quantum Electrodynamics (Prof J Magueijo); Unification (Prof A Rajantie); Advanced Quantum Field Theory (Prof A Tolley); Supersymmetry (Prof A Tseytlin); Relativity and Cosmology (Prof J Magueijo);   Black Holes (Prof K Stelle); Differential Geometry (Prof C Hull); String Theory (Prof A Hanany); The Standard Model and Beyond (Prof K Stelle).