Postgraduate research opportunities

Ultra-precise Atomic Magnetometry for Unshielded Measurements

A fully-funded position to undertake research in the ground-breaking field of quantum sensing and measurement, after the first year specialising in Magnetometry.

Number of places

1

Opens

1 June 2020

Eligibility

Qualifications:
BSc (Hons) 2:1 or equivalent degree in physics

Funding:
Scholarships (fees and stipend) available on a competitive basis for UK students, please contact supervisor for details.

Project Details

This project on the measurement of magnetic fields, which will push the attainable sensitive below the femtoTesla level (ten orders of magnitude below the Earth’s magnetic field), has begun at the University of Strathclyde. Using compact, room temperature, atomic samples the new lab will compete directly with superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) based systems that require prohibitively expensive cryogenic environments. The outcomes of the project will be immediately applied to measurement of real-world systems, including bio-magnetic fields such as those produced by the neuronal electrical activity of the human brain.

This project is funded within the UK Quantum Technologies Program, offering a fully funded PhD position within the Experimental Quantum Optics & Photonics group at Strathclyde, lead in collaboration by Prof Erling Riis, Dr Aidan Arnold, and Dr Paul Griffin. The group is closely linked with other Quantum Technology Hubs exploiting Strathclyde’s position as the only University to be involved in all four hubs in both phases of funding.

References

  1. S. J. Ingleby, C. O’Dwyer, P. F. Griffin, A. S. Arnold, and E. Riis, Orientational effects on the amplitude and phase of polarimeter signals in double-resonance atomic magnetometry, Phys. Rev. A 96, 013429 (2017)
  2. S. J. Ingleby, P. F. Griffin, A. S. Arnold, M. Chouliara, E. Riis, High-precision control of static magnetic field magnitude, orientation, and gradient using optically pumped vapour cell magnetometry, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 88, 043109 (2017)

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