Physics - Research

Overview

The scientific research within the School of Mathematics and Physics was highly rated in the 2021 REF peer-review exercise, with 90% of research being judged as internationally excellent or world-leading. Physics and Astronomy at Queen's is currently ranked 16th in the UK (Complete University Guide 2023) and joint 3rd for Graduate Prospects (Guardian University Guide 2023).



Physics research activity in the School is focused into three specific Research Centres; all members of academic staff belong to one of these Research Centres, listed below.



Astrophysics Research Centre (PhD/MPhil)

Find out more below, or email Professor Mihalis Mathioudakis (m.mathioudakis@qub.ac.uk)



Centre for Light-Matter Interaction (PhD/MPhil)

Find out more below, or email Professor Marco Borghesi (m.borghesi@qub.ac.uk)



Centre for Quantum Materials and Technology (PhD/MPhil)

Find out more below, or email Dr Amit Kumar (a.kumar@qub.ac.uk)



Subject Summary

Physics research activity is focused into three specific Research Centres. Students will have the opportunity to work with academics who are world-leading researchers in their specialist fields. Students will enjoy the benefits of modern practical laboratories, extensive computer facilities and research space. The aim of our postgraduate research is to develop your capacity for scholarship and equip you with the necessary skills and opportunities to make an original contribution to knowledge. Training is primarily through your supervisory team and also through seminars and workshops organised by the School. You also will have opportunities for specialist training through the Graduate School and other professional departments.



Registration is on a full-time or part-time basis, under the direction of a supervisory team appointed by the University. You will be expected to submit your thesis at the end of three years of full-time registration for PhD, or two years for MPhil (or part-time equivalent).



Course structure

There is no specific course content as such. An MPhil programme runs for 2 years full-time or 4 years part-time.



The MPhil is open to both full and part time candidates and is often a useful preparation for a career within academia or consultancy.

Graduate

The minimum academic requirement for admission to a research programme is normally an Upper Second Class Honours degree from a UK or ROI HE provider, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Further information can be obtained by contacting the School of Mathematics and Physics.

How to Apply

Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

2 academic years full-time, 4 academic years part-time.

Entry Year: 2024/25

Career Prospects

Alumni Success

Our graduates have progressed into jobs such as Data Scientist, Software Engineer, Financial Software Developer, IT Graduate Associate, Technology Consultant, Research Physicist, Telescope Operator and R&D Engineer.

Research information


Research Themes

Astrophysics (PhD/MPhil)


You'll be involved in the search for distant supernovae and where they came from; study the asteroid and comet population in the Solar system; look for planets orbiting other stars in our Galaxy; study flares and other dynamic processes in the atmosphere of the Sun. You'll have the opportunity to spend extensive periods at world-leading research centres such as the European Southern Observatory and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.


At Queen's we lead major European consortia and are supported by a multi-million pounds portfolio of research grants from a range of sources, including the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Royal Society, and European Union.


Research Themes

Atomistic Simulation (PhD/MPhil)


Atomistic Simulation is the use of theoretical and computational methods to study structural, dynamical, and optical properties of molecules, liquids, solids and plasmas at the atomic scale. Computational experiments are used to interpret existing experimental data and to predict phenomena yet unobserved.


You'll study problems at the interfaces between condensed matter physics, materials science, chemistry, biology, and engineering.


You'll interact with laboratory-based colleagues at Queen's and internationally, addressing fundamental and/or practical questions, and you will develop and program novel simulation methodologies to model situations presently out of reach, like electronic excitations, optical properties of materials, and the interaction between electric currents, heat and light.


Research Themes

Nanostructured Media (PhD/MPhil)


Through your research, you will help advance the world's understanding of materials used in cutting edge electronics, photonics and computing. You will help uncover new properties and help develop ideas for how these properties might be used to change the way technology develops in future decades.


You will have access to some of the most advanced equipment and facilities currently available for research, both in Queens University and through international collaborations. By engaging in your research, you will have the opportunity to become an expert in the growth and patterning of materials, the characterisation of magnetic, electronic and optical properties and in high-end microscopy. These are all techniques that make you highly employable in the global electronic and photonic materials market.


You'll benefit from recent major funding investments made by the UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council, US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme and Seagate Technology.


Research Themes

Plasma Physics (PhD/MPhil)


Your research will involve identifying and responding to the major contemporary issues within ionised matter physics, exploiting synergy derived from a close integration of experimental, theoretical and simulation studies, with major activities in laser- and electrically-produced plasmas, ultra-fast atomic and molecular physics and the interaction of ionising radiation and plasmas with biological systems. You'll also benefit from transferring your research findings into the industrial and medical sectors.


Research Themes

Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (PhD/MPhil)


You'll contribute to a body of work with recent major developments including strong field laser interactions with atoms and molecules, quantum information processing, quantum optics, and quantum thermodynamics, antimatter interactions with atoms and molecules, electron scattering by very complex targets such as the iron peak elements, and by Rydberg atoms, quantum many-body physics, ultra-cold atomic systems, and simulation of their features, and foundations of quantum mechanics.