Why did you choose to study Physics at Strathclyde?

In my sixth year of high school, I came to the Strathclyde Physics department to complete my Advanced Higher project experiments. This led to a week’s work experience in the labs. I loved the environment and the campus, which is in the heart of Glasgow, making it an easy commute. The hands-on experience in the department encouraged me both to apply for Physics and convinced me that Strathclyde was the place to go.

Tell us about your internship.

My internship has been in the Experimental Quantum Optics & Photonics Group, looking at the development of chip-scale atomic clocks. Atomic clocks are a very precise way to measure time by observing the transition of atoms from one energy level to another. They can be used in a wide range of areas like telecommunications and GPS.

The state-of-the-art atomic clocks currently in use are very bulky and have been around since the 1970s. The overall aim of my project was to look into how to develop these into much smaller packages, so that they are easier to mass-produce and to use for a wider range of applications.

Why did you choose to do an internship?

I’ve always enjoyed research and wanted to gain some work experience in a research environment over the summer. When deciding what to do for my fourth year project, I found myself interested in lots of different topics, particularly in optics based experiments, and even had a look around a few of the labs. I found atomic clocks particularly interesting and wanted to learn more about them.

How did you find out about and apply for your internship?

I attended a lecture about how the internships worked within the department. I had also expressed an interest in my internship supervisor’s topic of research while choosing my fourth year project. Upon further discussion with my supervisor, I discovered more about the summer internship and how to apply. I applied for different sources of funding with my supervisor’s help. This entailed a series of online applications that typically involved submitting a CV and a short summary of what the project was, and why I was interested.

What are your ambitions for the future and how do you think your internship will help you achieve your goals?

As a result of my internship, I've found that I really enjoy research in atomic physics. This internship has also resulted in successfully securing a PhD to start in a few months! I am very excited about this opportunity to work further with the department and to see where research takes me.