Dr Aidan Arnold
Reader
Physics
Personal statement
I have been working in atomic physics for thirty years. As a PhD student with Malcolm Boshier I turned an empty optical table into the first Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in the UK in two years (Guardian 8/10/1998). Other leading roles were the world’s first delta-kick cooling of BECs, ring traps for BECs, and single-beam tetrahedral magneto-optical trap geometries – with particular impact in quantum technology and knowledge exchange. I also lead experiments in thermal atomic vapours: Doppler-broadening thermometry and four-wave mixing with structured light. In addition to my experimental work, I have published on theoretical projects both as sole author and collaboratively.
My undergraduate studies (BSc(Hons) in Mathematics, and MSc in Physics) were carried out at the University of Otago in my hometown of Dunedin, New Zealand.
Publications
- Practical primary thermometry via alkali-metal-vapour Doppler broadening
- Agnew Nicola, Vohníková Veronika, Riis Erling, Machin Graham, Arnold Aidan S
- Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2024.0455
- A compact high-flux grating chip cold atom source
- Heine Hendrik, Arnold Aidan S, Le Gonidec Melanie S, Griffin Paul F, Riis Erling, Herr Waldemar, Rasel Ernst M
- New Journal of Physics Vol 27 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/adbc14
- Single-beam grating-chip 3D and 1D optical lattices
- Bregazzi Alan, McGilligan James P, Griffin Paul F, Riis Erling, Arnold Aidan S
- Physical Review Letters Vol 134 (2025)
- https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.013001
- Practical doppler broadening thermometry
- Agnew Nicola, Machin Graham, Riis Erling, Arnold Aidan S
- AIP Conference Proceedings Vol 3230 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0234155
- Theory of Rayleigh–Brillouin optical activity light scattering applicable to chiral liquids
- Cameron Robert P, Alexakis Emmanouil I, Arnold Aidan S, McArthur Duncan
- Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Vol 26, pp. 11641-11648 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CP05109A
- Optimal binary gratings for multi-wavelength magneto-optical traps
- Burrow Oliver S, Fasano Robert J, Brand Wesley, Wright Michael W, Li Wenbo, Ludlow Andrew D, Riis Erling, Griffin Paul F, Arnold Aidan S
- Optics Express Vol 31, pp. 40871-40880 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.498606
Professional Activities
- External PhD Examiner University of St. Andrews
- External Examiner
- 2012
- Seminar at Imperial College
- Invited speaker
- 2011
- Seminar at University of Sussex
- Speaker
- 2011
- External PhD Examiner University of Cambridge
- External Examiner
- 2011
- Chips for atom/ion trapping: University of Nottingham
- Speaker
- 2011
- Quantum Optics workshop: Ross Priory
- Speaker
- 2011
Projects
- ITT ESA BEC
- Arnold, Aidan (Principal Investigator) Griffin, Paul (Co-investigator)
- 13-Jan-2025 - 12-Jan-2027
- QEPNT A UK Hub for Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation and Timing - Full Stage
- Hastie, Jennifer (Principal Investigator) Arnold, Aidan (Co-investigator) Griffin, Paul (Co-investigator) Ingleby, Stuart (Co-investigator) McGilligan, James Patrick (Co-investigator) Riis, Erling (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 30-Jan-2029
- DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Smith, Samuel Alexander
- Griffin, Paul (Principal Investigator) Arnold, Aidan (Co-investigator) Smith, Samuel Alexander (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 01-Jan-2028
- Doppler Broadening Thermometry - Primary thermometry for in-situ traceability - Veronica Vohnikova | Vohnikova, Veronika
- Arnold, Aidan (Principal Investigator) Riis, Erling (Co-investigator) Vohnikova, Veronika (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 01-Jan-2028
- Doppler Broadening Thermometry - Primary thermometry for in-situ traceability - Veronica Vohnikova
- Arnold, Aidan (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2028
- Industrial CASE Account - University of Strathclyde 2022 | Vohnikova, Veronika
- Arnold, Aidan (Principal Investigator) Riis, Erling (Co-investigator) Vohnikova, Veronika (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2024 - 01-Jan-2028