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Applications are invited for our Ph.D opportunities. The demands of materials physics require that we can only accept students of the highest calibre; applicants usually have, or expect to gain, a first class degree in Physics, Mathematics, Natural Sciences or other appropriate subject. They are then provided with an excellent generic training in science. Doctoral graduates from Durham are highly sought after. In addition to many of our students taking first-class academic/research positions around the world, many others have secured careers for example in scientific management, patent law, industrial research, consultancy and scientific advisory positions for institutions and governments.
Our post-graduate degree courses normally start in October, but it is possible to begin at any time.
We have EPSRC funded studentships available to students resident in the UK for the past three years. These cover tuition fees and pay a generous bursary to cover living expenses.
Details on tuition fees are available on the following University pages:
International students: Durham has a long tradition of welcoming excellent students from all over the world. If you are thinking of applying to Durham University, of course you should look through these web-pages at the fabulous on-going research and training. Also try to speak with some of our alumni, they are our greatest ambassadors. The vast majority of international students bring their own scholarships with them - if you have your own scholarship and wish to be put in touch with a relevant alumni/a please include it on your application form.
We have recently updated the Ph.D. projects that are available for prospective students for 2025 intake.
There are also a very limited number of University Studentships that are ferociously competitive. See Durham Doctoral Studentships link below:
Typically 1 or 2 per year in Physics.
Fellowships are limited in number and very competitive so a first class degree or equivalent is the minimum required to have a good chance of success.
Open to all students.
Very early – usually the December of the year prior to entry.
Student Financial Support Office
Fully funded 3.5 or 4 year Ph.D. studentships are available with flexible start dates. For details see:
http://community.dur.ac.uk/superconductivity.durham/vacancies.html
Typically, two or three of the following projects will be funded per year from EPSRC, and will be allocated on a competitive basis after candidates are shortlisted.
These projects also serve as a list of topics that are available to students that might have external funding available to them.
Correlated electron phenomena in solids are a major theme of physics in the 21st century. They have the potential to change our understanding of fundamental physics phenomena, to impact the technology significantly, and to provide new solutions to energy problems. Kroemer stated at the beginning of his Nobel lecture, “Often, it may be said that the interface is the device”. Novel phenomena and functionalities at artificial hetero-interfaces have been attracting extensive scientific attention in both material science and fundamental condensed matter physics for decades. Recently, a lot of studies suggest that complex oxide interfaces provide an even more powerful route to create and manipulate multiple degrees of freedom and suggest new possibilities for various applications. In this project, we will play a new twist to the traditional hetero-interface – inserting a monolayer of transition metal oxide to be sandwiched at the hetero-interfaces, which can exhibit even more intriguing phenomena and properties. Since the monolayer is a physically defined 2-D layer of atoms, differing from an interface region at the border of two layers, the sandwiched monolayer has its own intrinsic properties, which adds additional degrees of freedom and functionality to the system. The materials employed to sandwich the monolayer can be engineered to create certain electronic/magnetic/strain environments to the monolayer in between, which in turn can affect or induce new properties or novel functionalities to the monolayer.
In this project, we aim at designing and investigating the emergent novel physics phenomena and properties at a monolayer of transition metal oxide (e.g. MnO2, NiO2, CoO2, etc.) sandwiched in various perovskite and brownmillerite complex oxide heterostructures (e.g. SrTiO3, LaAlO3, SrCoO3-x, SrFeO3-x, etc.). Laser-molecular beam epitaxy and pulsed laser deposition will be employed to grow and construct the oxide heterostructures. We will study the topography and possible ferroelectric properties of the heterostructures with scanning probe microscopy-based techniques. To directly and specifically investigate the electronic and magnetic structure of the sandwiched monolayer, we will carry out our synchrotron soft x-ray absorption-based spectroscopy and microscopy techniques in multiple synchrotron facilities all around the world.
For information, please contact Dr. Qing (Helen) He: qing.he@durham.ac.uk
Applications are invited for a PhD studentship in theoretical and computational soft matter and biological physics to work with Prof. Suzanne Fielding in the Department of Physics at Durham University.
Depending on the interests of the applicant, the project could be mainly computational or could combine numerics with analytical work.
Its overall aims will be to understand the deformation and flow behaviour of so-called yield stress materials, which keep their shape like solids at low loads, yet flow like a liquid at larger loads. One possible focus could be on the dynamical process whereby a material in an initially solid-like state firsts yields and starts to flow, and in particular on the statistical physics of how initially sparse plastic events in an otherwise elastic background then spatio-temporally cooperate to result in an emergent macroscopic flow.
Besides the immediate applications of this work to soft matter physics, and potentially also to the fracture mechanics of hard materials, yielding also governs geological processes such as landslides, avalanches and lava flows. It also determines the reshaping of biological tissue under the internal stresses caused by cell division, including during embryo development or tumour growth. Depending on the interests of the candidate, the project could develop a more specific focus on any of these particular areas of research.
The research will draw on concepts of statistical physics, nonlinear dynamical systems theory, fluid dynamics, solid mechanics and related fields.
For more information, please contact Prof Suzanne Fielding (suzanne.fielding@durham.ac.uk).
Suzanne Fielding's webpage.
We have built a brand new Extraordinary Acoustic Raman Spectroscopy (EARS) experiment (believed to be the first in the UK and Europe). The method uses a bichromatic laser set up to allow single protein molecules to be optically trapped by a gold nanostructure and exposed to the GHz frequencies that will activate their global vibrational modes.
The beat frequency is swept over the GHz range to obtain a spectrum. Trapping events and binding or unfolding are detected in the Brownian fluctuations of the transmitted light. Removing the absorption of bulk water has a profound affect in enhancing the spectral precision as seen by a comparison of dielectric spectroscopy in this region and the EARS spectrum.
This project will use the precision laser technique to investigate how proteins interact with the water that surrounds them and how that interaction is modified by the presence of various biologically relevant ions in solution. The project will further aim to observe the vital functions of protein molecules including signally and self-assembly, and to understand the role of GHz vibrations in those functions. The project will involve collecting a range of spectra of proteins previously studied using other techniques in order to provide information for the development of more accurate elastic network models. These ENM models are used in a wide variety of applications including the prediction of binding affinities for drug discover pipelines and the search for novel protein conformations useful in the treatment of disease.
For more information, please contact Prof Beth Bromley (e.h.c.bromley@durham.ac.uk).
Spintronics is a critical technology for magnetic information storage including the hard-disk drive, that underpins cloud computing, and magnetic random access memory, MRAM, that has wider electronic memory applications. Spintronics describes the broad range of physics interactions between the spin component of electronic currents and the magnetization in multilayered thin-film systems. This experimental project aims to investigate the physics needed to effectively control spin current transport for the development of more energy efficient applications in spintronics. One aim is to combine metallic and semiconducting thin films.
For more information, please contact Professor Del Atkinson: del.atkinson@durham.ac.uk
In some magnetic materials interactions between the moments are constrained to act along one-dimensional lines or in two dimensional planes. The physics of these systems is very different to their three-dimensional counterparts and features exotic states and excitations, including unusual forms of quantum disorder, and topological excitations such as magnetic solitons and skyrmions.
In this project we will investigate the physics of low-dimensional magnets using implanted muons, which are sensitive, microscopic magnetometers that can be produced at particle accelerators and implanted in materials. Muons are uniquely sensitive to the low-moment magnetism in these systems and can be used to probe magnetic transitions and dynamics. The muon can also form quantum-mechanically entangled states with its surroundings whose properties, which can be accurately calculated, are of fundamental interest.
For more information, please contact Prof Tom Lancaster: tom.lancaster@durham.ac.uk
Symmetry breaking in materials often produces emergent physical behaviour. Common examples include time-reversal symmetry breaking in (ferro)magnetics and spatial-inversion symmetry breaking in ferroelectrics, but there exists a plethora of other types. ABX3 perovskites are sometimes used as a prototypical example material in this regard, since they can undergo various types of electronic, atomic and spin orderings that break symmetry in different ways and induce new types of properties, often with potential for technological applications such as in memory elements or energy storage. This project will study these types of materials using a variety of computational and theoretical tools, including density functional theory (DFT). Several projects are available within this theme, including:
For more information, please contact Dr Nick Bristowe: nicholas.bristowe@durham.ac.uk
This PhD project focuses on the development and application of advanced electronic structure methods aimed at discovering and optimizing materials for future semiconductor, magnetic, and high-pressure technologies. The research will combine theoretical innovation and high-performance computing to address critical challenges in material science, offering opportunities for both scientific breakthroughs and real-world technological impact. This project is ideal for candidates interested in computational physics, materials science, and contributing to future device innovations. The successful candidate will gain comprehensive training in computational physics, high-performance computing, and materials science, with the potential for high-impact research outcomes in fields like energy technologies and spintronics.
For more information, please contact Prof Stewart Clark: s.j.clark@durham.ac.uk
This project aims to design of new materials for novel renewable energy applications. Theoretical predictions will be experimentally synthesised and tested.
Photovoltaics rely on the separation of photoinduced charge carriers, which normally requires careful engineering of electron and hole attracting electrodes or p-n junctions, as in conventional solar cells. However, materials called ferroelectrics display a spontaneous polarisation that can induce spontaneous photocurrents, allowing for greater flexibility in photovoltaic device architectures. This spontaneous photocurrent may also allow ferroelectric photovoltaics to circumvent the Shockley-Queisser limit. Unfortunately, most ferroelectrics are poor absorbers of sunlight and poor conductors due to their relatively large optical band gaps. In addition, the polarisation of conventional ferroelectrics is unstable to charge carriers, and depolarisation fields, both of which are essential for spontaneous photocurrents. These key issues have prevented the “photoferroic" concept from receiving greater attention, despite over 40 years of research into the effect. This project will consider a novel strategy to bypass these issues by designing unconventional ferroelectrics, called improper ferroelectrics, which can have optimised optical band gaps and are more likely to be robust towards charge carriers and depolarising fields.
This research project – to design novel photoferroics for next generation photovoltaics - is interdisciplinary, providing the student with the opportunity to develop expertise in both theory and computation (quantum mechanical simulations based on density functional theory) and experimental techniques (materials synthesis, structural and properties measurements). The supervisory team has previously enjoyed success employing these combined approaches in related materials. The exact split between theory and experiment can be adapted to the student.
For more information, please contact Dr Emma McCabe: emma.mccabe@durham.ac.uk
Thin-film photovoltaics (PV) contain numerous grain boundary defects that reduce device efficiency. This is currently limiting commercialisation of thin-film PV, as it cannot compete with the higher efficiencies of standard silicon PV, despite silicon being a poor light absorber. Recent experimental and density functional theory (DFT) simulations have uncovered an unusual property of Sb2Se3 thin-film PV. This material has a unique crystal structure consisting of quasi-1D ribbons, weakly held together by van der Waals bonding. The atoms within the material are able to structurally relax at a grain boundary, thereby removing the harmful defect states that kill the efficiency. Preliminary DFT results suggests that similar materials characterised by reduced dimensionality units linked by van der Waals bonding can also undergo structural relaxation. These defect tolerant materials have enormous potential as poly-crystalline energy materials for PV applications, since apart from high efficiency, they can also be produced cheaply and sustainably in large volumes using earth abundant elements.
This project will examine why materials such as Sb2Se3 can structurally relax, while other more conventional energy materials, such as Si, cannot. The answer lies deep within the phonon properties of the material, i.e. the way atoms in the crystal move as a collective unit. Phonon properties will be measured in the transmission electron microscope, and simulated using DFT. You will compare experimental and theoretical phonon results for different materials with the goal of identifying common features that give rise to structural relaxation. This is a unique opportunity to work on a materials discovery project that has both a fundamental and applied focus.
For more information, please contact Prof Budhika Mendis: b.g.mendis@durham.ac.uk
A potential route to coherent, entangled states needed for quantum computing, are long lived optical generated triplet excited states of molecules. Triplet states can provide ideal candidates for this application because of their inherent long lifetimes, which can be controlled by molecular engineering and novel film design. To retain coherence between two triplet states, non-radiative decay processes must be suppressed, so starting from intrinsic long phosphorescence decay and non-radiative decay mechanisms is important. These can be enhanced by stacking the molecules, through weak π-stacking forces, forming so call H-aggregates. Through Davydov splitting H-aggregates have forbidden radiative decay from their lowest energy excited states increasing lifetime, and if each molecule in the stack is highly rigid then vibrationally mediated internal conversion can also be greatly reduced, preventing non-radiative decay. Therefore, using rigid molecules with very fast inter system crossing (ISC), such that all optically excited states rapidly (within a few picoseconds) form triplet states, which also form π-stacks, we can engineer H-aggregate formation by molecule design and also we can engineer them to form columnar liquid crystal (LC) stacks, yielding oriented H-aggregates which can greatly increases net overall spin entanglement. In this project the PhD student will study such molecules that we are currently designing and synthesizing with colleagues at the University of Bordeaux, and studying their LC behavior at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). In Durham the student will initially study molecular H-aggregates of the molecule homo-truxene (HTX) (previously shown by us to have high intrinsic ISC), using time resolved optical spectroscopy, e.g. femtosecond photoinduced absorption, picosecond streak camera measurements of initial fast emission and long time phosphorescence using gated nanosecond to second emission spectroscopy. They will then work with UFSC to produce columnar LC stacks of substituted version of HTX synthesized in Bordeaux, using x-ray measurements to characterize molecular configuration. They will then fully characterize the triplet dynamics in these LC H-aggregate stack structures. Further, time resolved EPR measurements will be made at the Ceasar time resolved EPR facility at Oxford University to investigate spin entanglement, coherence lifetimes and decoherence mechanisms. The goal of the project is to demonstrate very long lived coherent entangled states that can feasibly be used as qubits in quantum computing applications.
For more information, please contact Prof Andrew Monkman: a.p.monkman@durham.ac.uk
This project has the goal of developing the next generation battery materials with an emphasis on sustainability, ease of manufacture and the recyclability of the components. In particular, it focuses on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based upon the molecule 7,7,8,8- tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), the MOFs allowing for enhanced ionic intercalation into the electrodes of the electrochemical cell. This project will also investigate the use of TCNQ-related MOFs as solid-state electrolytes.
For more information, please contact Dr Ian Terry: ian.terry@durham.ac.uk
In recent years, electronic structure calculations have become essential across fields like physics, chemistry, materials science, biology, and nanotechnology, filling roles that were hard to imagine two decades ago. This shift stems from the development of density functional theory (DFT) over the last fifty years, coupled with advancements in computational software and hardware. The significance of DFT in electronic structure theory was highlighted when the 1998 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was shared between W. Kohn for his work on DFT and J. Pople for his contributions to computational quantum chemistry. This shared prize reflected the importance of combining DFT and wavefunction theory (WFT) to overcome each theory’s limitations—DFT’s approximation constraints and WFT’s scalability challenges.
To address these issues and meet the demand for precise electronic structure predictions for complex systems, integrating DFT and WFT could provide new insights. Yet, integrating DFT and WFT remains challenging due to their differing philosophies. Current methods, such as DFT-based perturbation theory (DFTPT), reveal instabilities in energy calculations, often resulting in unphysically low values.
A recent approach suggests a natural integration by constructing a WFT-based method that directly aligns with DFT’s Kohn-Sham (KS) system, without additional constraints on the density. This novel approach shifts the goal of electronic structure calculations from minimizing total energy to minimizing a specific positive energy difference, which directly yields the KS potential. Minimizing the energy difference effectively identifies the best zero-order Hamiltonian with a weak remainder, enhancing calculation stability.
Using this framework an optimally converging expansion of the KS potential has been constructed. It has also been shown that this expansion solves the severe problem of variational collapse of the total energy based on second order many-body-perturbation theory.
This project aims to implement this new exchange-correlation functional. Initially, it will focus on atoms and molecules with localized basis sets, with a potential to expand to solid-state systems using plane-wave basis sets, adaptable to the PhD student's interests.
For more information, please contact Dr Nikitas Gidopoulos: nikitas.gidopoulos@durham.ac.uk
Increasing use of renewable energy sources coupled with fluctuations in demand creates a pressing need for efficient, low-cost, energy storage technologies. Supercapacitors are promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems, their higher power density and better cycle life than batteries making them ideal for rapid energy storage and deployment. However, their adoption is hampered by low energy density, particularly in devices using aqueous (water-based) electrolytes. In this project a novel approach for the deposition of two-dimensional materials (such as graphene, MoS2 etc.) will be combined with strategies to improve power density through electrolyte formulation to produce high-performance supercapacitors based on nanostructured materials.
For more information, please contact Dr Michael Hunt: m.r.c.hunt@durham.ac.uk
Thought initially to be an artefact when first discovered 15 years ago, cell in cell (CIC) structures are nowadays routinely used as a histological marker to diagnose aggressive types of cancers. Despite this, there is currently no scientific agreement on what drives CIC formation. Are internalized cells seeking a shield from the immune defense of the body or from administered drugs, or are host cells in a need of more nutrients? Are CIC progressing by active cell invasion or by engulfment?
In this project, the PhD student based in the Physics Department at Durham University, will work alongside cancer researchers to 1) provide a mechanistic biophysical understanding of the formation of cell-in cell structures in cancer, and 2) to establish whether the propensity of cancer cells to internalize large objects could be used for targeted drug delivery. We will develop advanced imaging technologies based on optical tweezers and fluorescent life-time imaging to manipulate a pair of cells and characterise their adhesion interactions, membrane and cytoskeleton reorganization during the CIC formation. We will use lipid vesicles with specific physico-chemical surface properties to create passive models of cancer cells in order to understand which of the cells drives the CIC formation. Towards the end of the project the student will explore whether internalization of large vesicles can be used for cancer specific therapies that target stem cells in the heart of the cancer. The team will collaborate closely with clinicians and industrial partners specializing in liposome drug therapy.
For more information, please contact Dr Margarita Staykova: margarita.staykova@durham.ac.uk
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