A researcher at the University of Strathclyde has been named as the winner of an Institute of Physics (IOP) award for his work on quantum technology.
Dr James McGilligan has been awarded the 2025 IOP Bates Prize for his sustained contributions to the field and his innovative research that allows the translation of atomic and laser-based quantum technologies from the laboratory to real-world applications.
Advanced capabilities
His research is mainly focused on developing new techniques to support the miniaturisation and mass production of next-generation atomic clocks and atomic magnetometers. This quantum technology is critical to advanced capabilities in areas such as navigation, medicine, surveyance and communication.
Dr McGilligan received a prize of £500 and a commemorative plaque and gave a Bates Prize talk at IOP’s QuAMP (Quantum, Atomic and Molecular Physics) conference in Newcastle on 4 September.
He said:
My work in this area being recognised by the Institute of Physics with the Bates Prize is a huge honour. I am grateful to the IoP for highlighting the importance of advancing atomic sensing technologies, and to the funders and collaborators who have supported my journey so far.
“The award is both a personal milestone and wonderful recognition of the incredible team I have supporting me at the University of Strathclyde and from my collaborators.”
There is a significant international focus on developing mass-producible quantum technologies for sensing and metrology. A 2017 study by London Economics estimated that that a seven-day disruption to global navigation satellite systems would incur a loss of £7.64 billion to the UK economy. The UK National Quantum Strategy 2023 identifies the miniaturisation of next-generation atomic sensors as a solution for the resilience of critical infrastructure in national timing, healthcare, and finance.
The IOP awards the Bates Prize in memory of Sir David Bates FRS (1916-1994), an eminent theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to the fields of atomic, molecular and atmospheric physics.
Dr Alex Clark, IOP’s Quantum Optics, Quantum Information and Quantum Control Group Chair and Bates Prize committee chair, said: “I am very excited to see Dr McGilligan win this prize. His work on integrating atomic quantum technologies into scalable and miniaturised packages is world leading.
It will enable a huge amount of new quantum technologies to be robust enough for use outside of quantum optics laboratories in settings that promise to have real impact on society, from enhanced medical sensors through to novel inertial navigation systems and quantum memories that will enable a future quantum internet.
Dr McGilligan is one of six Strathclyde Physics and Photonics researchers active in QEPNT (UK Hub for Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation & Timing), established in 2024 to ensure the UK benefits from resilient position, navigation and timing advancements.