Proposed research is concerned with theoretical study of Bose condensation, coherence effects and quantum correlations in cold atomic gases and solid state microstructures.In particular, I intend to develop field theory of a cross-over between atomic BCS and molecular BEC in cold Fermi gases with complex but realistic interactions relevant to recent experiments. I also plan to study interactions of atomic BEC with light in particular the formation of superposition condensate of atoms and polaritons in microcavity to encourage experimental effort in this direction. Finally I intend to investigate phase dynamics, photon statistics and quantum correlations of semiconductor polariton condensate to help in resolving on-going controversy on the interpretations of recent findings in polariton systems.Coming from the condensed matter background and working in the Atomic and Laser Physics sub-department in Oxford I intend to investigate how the ideas and techniques can be exchanged between these areas. Apart from specific projects proposed, during the course of the fellowship, I intend to explore how recent experimental advances in ultra-cold atomic gases can help in developing successful theories of solidstate systems as well as what interesting quantum phenomena, known in condensed matter, can be realised in optical traps.

This PhD project will study the pion-to-muon production yields and radiation dose (energy deposition rates) for the target system that is being designed for the Muon Collider, which has enormous potential to be a future facility for high-energy physics research. Simulations using the BDSIM, GEANT4 and FLUKA software toolkits will be used to compare different target and pion focusing options, with the aim of finding the best choice that will provide the optimal physics performance within the engineering constraints for safe and reliable operation.

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Modern physics explains a stunning variety of phenomena from the smallest of scales to the largest and has already revolutionized the world! Lasers, semi-conductors, and transistors are at the core of our laptops, cellphones, and medical equipment. And every year, new novel quantum technologies are being developed within the National Quantum Technology Programme in the UK and throughout the world that impact our everyday life and the fundamental physics research that leads to new discoveries. Quantum states of light have recently improved the sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors, whose detections to date have enthralled the public, and superconducting transition-edge-sensors are now used in astronomy experiments that make high-resolution images of the universe. Despite the successes of modern physics, several profound and challenging problems remain. Our consortium will use recent advances in quantum technologies to address two of the most pressing questions: (i) what is the nature of dark matter and (ii) how can quantum mechanics be united with Einstein's theory of relativity? The first research direction is motivated by numerous observations which suggest that a significant fraction of the matter in galaxies is not directly observed by optical telescopes. This mysterious matter interacts gravitationally but does not seem to emit any light. Understanding the nature of dark matter will shed light on the history of the universe and the formation of galaxies and will trigger new areas of research in fundamental and possibly applied physics. Despite its remarkable importance, the nature of dark matter is still a mystery. A number of state-of-the-art experiments world-wide are looking for dark matter candidates with no luck to date. The candidate we propose to search for are axions and axion-like-particles (ALPs). These particles are motivated by outstanding questions in particle physics and may account for a significant part, if not all, of dark matter. First, we propose an experiment which will rely on quantum states of light and will detect a dark matter signal or improve the existing limits on the axion-photon coupling by a few orders of magnitude for a large range of axion masses. Second, we will build a quantum sensor which will improve the sensitivity of the international 100-m long ALPS detector of axion-like-particles by a factor of 3 - 10. Our second line of research is devoted to the nature of space and time. Recent announcements of Google's Sycamore quantum computer and the detection of gravitational waves have provided additional evidence to the long list of successful experimental tests of quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of relativity. But how can gravity be united with quantum mechanics? To seek answers that inform this question, we propose to study two quantum aspects of space-time. First, we will experimentally investigate the holographic principle, which states that the information content of a volume can be encoded on its boundary. We will exploit quantum states of light and build two ultra-sensitive laser interferometers that will investigate possible correlations between different regions of space with unprecedented sensitivity. Second, we will search for signatures of semiclassical gravity models that approximately solve the quantum gravity problems. We will build two optical interferometers and search for the first time for signatures of semiclassical gravity in the motion of the cryogenic silicon mirrors. Answering these challenging questions of fundamental physics with the aid of modern quantum technologies has the potential to open new horizons for physics research and to reach a new level of understanding of the world we live in. The proposed research directions share the common technological platform of quantum-enhanced interferometry and benefit from the diverse skills of the researchers involved in the programme.

The project seeks to leverage user experience methods from industry to explore the use of tangible 3D printed replicas within museums. The main aims of the project are to understand how such replicas affect the museum experience and how they influence both the interpretation and behaviour of visitors. This project will be jointly supervised by researchers in WMG at the University of Warwick and Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the doctoral researcher will be expected to spend time in both institutions, as well as becoming part of the wider cohort of CDP-funded doctoral students across the UK. The studentship will focus on the impact of tangible 3D printed replicas, models produced via the process of additive manufacturing, on the museum experience of visitors. The primary purpose of this is to investigate the feasibility of employing such replicas in museums and how visitors interact with and learn from such objects.