PGR | UMQT

SI-traceable atomic thermometry

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

SI-traceable atomic thermometry

Practical, portable temperature sensors drift during use and require periodic calibration against a ‘primary’ (stand-alone, accurate) thermometer to ensure on-going reliability. Primary thermometers are normally bulky but we aim to develop a portable, optically-based one using Doppler Broadening thermometry (DBT). This provides traceable temperature measurement in-situ in, for example sensor networks, to assure autonomy in a totally new way. This disruptive technology could in future completely change the way temperature traceability is delivered to users, and is aligned with the “Digitisation and Digital NMI” and “Achieving Carbon Net Zero” themes. For “digitisation” DBT will yield temperature traceability at the point of measurement, for “net zero” DBT will improve industrial process control (many of which rely on thermal processing but run sub-optimally due to temperature sensor drift). Solving this issue will optimise, and hence lower, power consumption whilst giving the added benefits of zero waste and consistent product quality. We will establish DBT as a new UK research activity and aim to scale macroscopic DBT approaches (typically 10’s cm) to practical sensor size (~cm) using small optical cells filled with atomic and/or molecular species. Our target uncertainty of 50mK in the temperature range 300-500 K, compares well with the precision of competing inexpensive thermocouple and thermistor technologies, but crucially will have absolute accuracy and thereby make an internationally leading contribution.

You will be part of a new research area for the UK, namely making absolute and traceable measurements of temperature using optical measurements of the Doppler broadening of an atomic transition. The aim is to scale to practical (~mm sized) sensors using miniature optical cells filled with appropriate atomic/molecular species. This project is in conjunction with external collaborative partner Graham Machin at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).

For more details contact the supervisor or apply here.

Availability: Open
Start date: October 2026
Contact: Dr Aidan Arnold

Vortex Dynamics in Ultracold Quantum Mixtures

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In a quantum many-body system the interactions between the constituent microscopic particles lead to emergent macroscopic phenomena. Such macroscopic phenomena include superfluidity (fluid flow without viscosity) and superconductivity (conduction of electricity without resistance). Novel phases such as high-temperature superconductivity form the basis of quantum materials, where useful emergent properties can lead to new technologies. Studying the dynamics of vortices (quantum whirlpools) can give key insight into the inner workings of these systems. Superfluids formed of ultracold atoms provide an extremely clean and well-controlled system for studies of collective quantum behaviour. They enable exquisite control over interactions, geometry, and rotation (vorticity). Importantly, in superfluids formed of mixtures of ultracold atoms we can tune the interactions to emphasize quantum effects such as fluctuations.

A key aim of this PhD project is to explore quantum-fluctuation dominated regimes where the behaviour of the superfluid depends on its inherent quantum nature, driving our fundamental understanding of superfluidity as a collective quantum phenomenon. Research goals include (1) investigating the role of quantum fluctuations in vortex nucleation and subsequent dynamics, and (2) investigating quantum-fluctuation-mediated interactions between two superfluids.

The successful student will join the Quantum Fluids research team, run by Dr Kali Wilson. They will work closely with the supervisor and other team members on a state-of-the-art experimental apparatus designed to explore vortex dynamics in binary superfluids formed of ultracold rubidium and potassium atoms. The successful student will also acquire practical skills in the areas of quantum technologies, optics and atomic physics. These skills include working with lasers, designing optical systems, high-resolution imaging and state-of-the-art image processing techniques, cooling and trapping atoms, as well as electronics and mechanical design.

If this sounds exciting to you and you would like to hear more, please get in touch with Kali Wilson (kali.wilson@strath.ac.uk).

Availability: Open
Start date: October 2026 (flexible)
Contact: Dr Kali Wilson

Graph optimisation using a neutral atom quantum computer

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Graph optimisation using a neutral atom quantum computer

Quantum computation offers a revolutionary approach to information processing, providing a route to efficiently solve classically hard problems such as factorisation and optimisation as well as unlocking new applications in material science and quantum chemistry that could in future be scaled up to accelerate drug design or optimised materials for aerospace and manufacturing. Whilst large-scale applications will require thousands of qubits, in the near-term small (100 qubit) quantum processors will reach a regime in which the quantum hardware is able to solve problems not accessible even on the largest available conventional supercomputers.

This project will utilise the SQuAre hardware platform for quantum computing based on scalable arrays of neutral atoms that is able to overcome the challenges to scaling of competing technologies, offering programmable control of up to 225 identical and high quality atomic qubits.

Already our team has demonstrated the highest single-qubit gate fidelities for large scale arrays on this hardware, and pioneered new approaches to realising weighted graph problems using locally addressed light-shifts. The aim of this PhD is to design and test new analogue and digital algorithms tailored for the neutral-atom platform to target industrially-relevant computation and optimisation problems, and perform pioneering demonstrations on the SQuAre system.

A major focus of this work will be developing new approaches to investigating qudit-encodings relevant for graph colouring problems, and to extend hardware performance to implement high-fidelity multi-qubit gate operations to enable efficient implementation of complex digital algorithms.

For more details see the project webpage or apply here.

Availability: Open
Start date: October 2026
Contact: Prof. Jonathan Pritchard

Quantum-gas microscopy of many-body quantum states in programmable light potentials

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Quantum Simulation seeks to unravel the mysteries of complex quantum systems that influence fields like materials science, chemistry, and biology. By modelling these systems through precise, controlled experiments at the quantum-mechanical level, we gain new, profound insights.

Within this PhD project, we’ll utilize ultracold atoms in optical lattices in a quantum-gas microscope setup, capable of single-site-resolved atom detection! Our setup, equipped with spatial light modulators, can project various light patterns onto the atoms with remarkable resolution. For example, in our work, published in Nature Communications, we were able to create quantum systems with only five atoms on a specific number of lattice site - this is pretty cool, isn’t it?

This remarkable tool will allow us to investigate novel quantum states in quasi one-dimensional systems. You can be the future PhD student exploring quantum states in ladder systems at half filling, where atoms move across each rung, yet the overall state remains insulating! We’re also diving into the intriguing effects of disordered lattice potentials on quantum states. By manipulating light potentials to flip atomic spins on selected sites, we’ll create various initial spin distributions, shedding light on out-of-equilibrium dynamics. And there’s more – future studies will venture into complex lattice geometries like Lieb-lattice systems and diamond chains.

Availability: Open
Start date: Every year
Contact: Prof Stefan Kuhr

Self-organized magnetic and droplet states for quantum technologies

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Self-organized magnetic and droplet states for quantum technologies

The project will investigate self-organized phases in cold atoms with light-mediated coupling. We are looking at laser cooled thermal atoms or quantum degenerate gases driven by a detuned laser beam with feedback from a single mirror or a cavity leading to the spontaneous emergence of intriguing spatial structures, from localized droplets to periodic structures like stripes and hexagons. Depending on the interest of the student, it can have a theoretical or experimental focus and would be either supervised by Prof Ackemann or Dr Robb as lead supervisor.

For more details, please contact Prof Thorsten Ackemann - thorsten.ackemann@strath.ac.uk.

Availability: Open only for self-funded students
Start date: Available now
Contact: Prof Thorsten Ackemann