About the Project
Swansea University is a UK top 30 institution for research excellence (Research Excellence Framework 2014), and has been named Welsh University of the Year 2017 by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide.
Swansea Science DTC is a community committed to undertaking world-class research that has a positive impact globally and we have a fully-funded PhD scholarship for 2017/2018 entry.
Our state-of-the-art facilities include: a low-energy positron beam with dedicated instrumentation for the study of positronium, a number of continuous-wave and pulsed laser systems, and scanning tunnelling, near-field optical and Raman microscopes. High-performance computing resources are available via clusters and dedicated supercomputers.
In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), over 80% of our Physics’ research outputs were judged to be worldleading or internationally excellent. Research is equally split between experimental and theoretical physics, and is funded via the UK Research Councils (STFC and EPSRC), the Royal Society, the Leverhulme Trust and the European Union.
In experimental physics, we lead the ALPHA collaboration, based at CERN, whose goal is to create, trap and manipulate anti-hydrogen. Results of the ALPHA collaboration are regularly published in Nature and featured on the BBC, CNN and other media. In 2011 the American Physical Society awarded the John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research to this group. In the Atomic, Molecular and Quantum Physics Group, we also carry out research on ultra-cold atoms, optomechanical systems, ultra-fast lasers, nanotechnology, quantum control with applications in medical imaging, as well as theoretical quantum computation and simulation.
Research in the Theoretical Particle Physics group is focused on all aspects of particle physics, from collider physics phenomenology and the Higgs boson to string theory, black holes and theoretical cosmology. The Lattice QCD group studies the strong interaction under extreme conditions and physics beyond the Standard Model, for which it has ample access to high-performance computing resources in the UK and in Europe.
Description:
Many systems of Condensed Matter Physics (Superconductors, Topological Insulators, etc) are examples of ’planar Physics’: their dynamics is constrained to happen in two space dimensions. The theoretical description of such systems requires the introduction of a very unique and particular dynamics for the electromagnetic field, called Chern-Simons (CS) terms. In this project we study different incarnations of CS: it appears as an alternative description for the low energy dynamics of heavy fermionic particles, and it gives fermionic properties to bosonic particles (and vice-versa). An interesting ’web of dualities’ between different CS-like theories was recently proposed. We will study it and extend its reach and search for the unifying ideas among many different systems of direct application in Condensed Matter Physics.
Funding Notes
This is a fully-funded scholarship, open to UK/EU candidates which include an annual stipend of £14,553 plus full UK/EU tuition fees.
Applications from overseas candidates are welcome, but candidates would be required to pay the difference between the UK/EU tuition fees and the overseas tuition fees.
Eligibility:
Candidates must have a First, Upper Second Class Honours (or equivalent) or a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline.
Informal enquiries before the deadline are welcome by emailing the project supervisor.
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