Particle physics

I did a PhD in phenomenological particle physics at Durham University.

I read Part III Maths (Master of Advanced Study in Applied Mathematics) at the University of Cambridge to learn about particle physics.

I studied at the University of St Andrews to graduate as a Master of Physics (MPhys Honours) in Theoretical Physics.

Bose-Einstein condensation is an exotic state of matter in which a gas of bosons all occupy a single state, displaying quantum at macroscopic scales. Well observed with quasiparticles and cold atomic gases, the phase is generally impossible for the common Bose gas: photons. Condensation is usually achieved at near-zero temperature; however, photons (assuming thermal with the environment) are absorbed by surrounding matter on cooling, leaving nothing to condense. Nevertheless, a condensate was recently observed in a laser-pumped gas of photons in a dye-filled microcavity at room temperature. Furthermore, currently unpublished experiments at Imperial indicate that the way light is polarised changes on condensation. While a photon condensation model exists, there has been no previous work regarding its polarisation. Thus to describe this phenomenon, the theory was developed to include polarisation.

Quantum computers offer the potential to revolutionise computational technology with the ability to efficiently perform calculations that are conventionally intractable. I am working at the University of St Andrews under the supervisor Dr Brendon Lovett to help bring full-scale quantum computers ever closer.My work involves computationally producing physical parameters for the modelling of electron spin states in silicon. This currently involves designing a theoretical simulation of the situation, which I am developing in Python. This work is vital for bringing the surface code architecture that Dr Lovett’s "Theory of Quantum Nanomaterials" group is currently developing to physical implementation.