Professor Paul McKenna
Deputy Associate Principal
Physics
Personal statement
Paul McKenna is Deputy Associate Principal (Research & Knowledge Exchange). He leads activity in the areas of Research and Knowledge Exchange, with associated roles aligning with the University’s Postgraduate Research portfolio and Researcher Development. He was Vice Dean (Research) in the Faculty of Science from September 2021 to January 2023 and Head of the Department of Physics from August 2018 to August 2021.
Prof. McKenna’s research focuses on ultra-intense laser-plasma interactions, including the development and application of laser-driven particle and radiation sources, plasma optics and photonics, and high field science.
He is a member of EPSRC's Capital Infrastructure Strategic Advisory Team since 2017 and a former member of STFC's Science Board (2017-20). He holds scientific advisory roles for several international high power laser facilities (e.g. the Program Advisory Committee for the Extreme Light infrastructure-Nuclear Physics facility) and held a visiting position at the Central Laser Facility at Harwell. He was an EPSRC Leadership Fellow from 2012-17 and was elected a Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2021.
Prize And Awards
- High Power Laser Science and Engineering Outstanding Contribution Award
- Recipient
- 1/10/2023
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Recipient
- 30/3/2020
Publications
- Laser harmonic generation with independent control of frequency and orbital angular momentum
- Trines Raoul, Schmitz Holger, King Martin, McKenna Paul, Bingham Robert
- Nature Communications Vol 15 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51311-y
- Optimizing laser coupling, matter heating, and particle acceleration from solids using multiplexed ultraintense lasers
- Yao Weipeng, Nakatsutsumi Motoaki, Buffechoux Sébastien, Antici Patrizio, Borghesi Marco, Ciardi Andrea, Chen Sophia N, d’Humières Emmanuel, Gremillet Laurent, Heathcote Robert, Horný Vojtěch, McKenna Paul, Quinn Mark N, Romagnani Lorenzo, Royle Ryan, Sarri Gianluca, Sentoku Yasuhiko, Schlenvoigt Hans-Peter, Toncian Toma, Tresca Olivier, Vassura Laura, Willi Oswald, Fuchs Julien
- Matter and Radiation at Extremes Vol 9 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0184919
- Narrow-band acceleration of gold ions to GeV energies from ultra-thin foils
- Martin Philip, Ahmed Hamad, Doria Domenico, Cerchez Mirela, Hanton Fiona, Gwynne Deborah, Alejo Aaron, Fernández-Tobias Javier, Green James, Macchi Andrea, Maclellan David, McKenna Paul, Ruiz Jesús Álvarez, Swantusch Marco, Willi Oswald, Zhai Shuhua, Borghesi Marco, Kar Satyabrata
- Communications Physics Vol 7 (2024)
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01425-4
- Geometry effects on energy selective focusing of laser-driven protons with open and closed hemisphere-cone targets
- King M, Higginson A, McGuffey C, Wilson R, Schaumann G, Hodge T, Ohland J B, Gales S, Hill M P, Pitt S F, Spindloe C, Danson C N, Wei M S, Beg F N, Roth M, Neely D, Gray R J, McKenna P
- Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion Vol 66 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6587/ad0b34
- Perspectives on laser-plasma physics in the relativistic transparency regime
- King Martin, Wilson Robbie, Bacon Ewan F J, Dolier Ewan J, Frazer Timothy P, Goodman Jack, Gray Ross J, McKenna Paul
- The European Physical Journal A Vol 59 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/s10050-023-01043-2
- Automated control and optimization of laser-driven ion acceleration
- Loughran B, Streeter M J V, Ahmed H, Astbury S, Balcazar M, Borghesi M, Bourgeois N, Curry C B, Dann S J D, DiIorio S, Dover N P, Dzelzanis T, Ettlinger O C, Gauthier M, Giuffrida L, Glenn G D, Glenzer S H, Green J S, Gray R J, Hicks G S, Hyland C, Istokskaia V, King M, Margarone D, McCusker O, McKenna P, Najmudin Z, Parisuaña C, Parsons P, Spindloe C, Symes D R, Thomas A G R, Treffert F, Xu N, Palmer C A J
- High Power Laser Science and Engineering Vol 11 (2023)
- https://doi.org/10.1017/hpl.2023.23
Professional Activities
- Co-Chair of the Superstrong field session of the International Conference on Laser Optics - ICLO2024
- Participant
- 1/7/2024
- Invited talk at the International Workshop: New opportunities and challenges in nuclear physics with high power lasers
- Speaker
- 1/7/2024
- Invited talk at Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) Joint Workshop on Advanced Technologies (Szeged, Hungary)
- Speaker
- 6/12/2023
- Invited talk at Vulcan Laser workshop at the Central Laser Facility
- Speaker
- 9/10/2023
- Workshop on Materials, Chemistry and Biology at Extreme Conditions
- Organiser
- 10/2023
- STFC Vulcan 20-20 Project Board (External organisation)
- Advisor
- 1/9/2023
Projects
- Cultures of Collaborative Research in a Socially Progressive Technological University
- McDonald, James (Principal Investigator) Bedford, Tim (Co-investigator) Compton-Daw, Emma (Co-investigator) Connolly, Patricia (Co-investigator) Grealy, Madeleine (Co-investigator) Mahn, Churnjeet (Co-investigator) McKenna, Paul (Co-investigator)
- 16-May-2024 - 15-May-2026
- Tuneable radiation-resilient (AlGa)2O3 UVC photodetectors
- Massabuau, Fabien (Principal Investigator) Martin, Robert (Co-investigator) McKenna, Paul (Co-investigator) Oi, Daniel (Co-investigator) Spesyvtseva, Susan (Co-investigator)
- 15-Apr-2024 - 30-Apr-2025
- Industrial CASE Account - University of Strathclyde 2022 | Torrance, Ben
- McKenna, Paul (Principal Investigator) Gray, Ross (Co-investigator) Torrance, Ben (Research Co-investigator)
- 01-Oct-2022 - 01-Oct-2026
- DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde
- McKenna, Paul (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Oct-2022 - 30-Sep-2028
- The Laser-hybrid Accelerator for Radiobiological Applications
- Whyte, Colin (Principal Investigator) Gray, Ross (Co-investigator) McKenna, Paul (Co-investigator)
- 01-Oct-2022 - 30-Sep-2024
- STFC Lancaster Cockcroft 2022 DTP - Christopher McQueen
- McKenna, Paul (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Oct-2022 - 30-Sep-2026
Contact
Professor
Paul
McKenna
Deputy Associate Principal
Physics
Email: paul.mckenna@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 5712