University of Oxford Physics

University of Oxford Physics This is the official page for Alumni & Friends of the Department of Physics at the University of Oxfo Many thanks for your cooperation.

The Department of Physics Alumni Relations Office works to develop, nurture and promote a continuing relationship between the Department and its alumni. We also work with current students, staff, researchers and friends of the Department, aiming and enhancing the experience of being part of one of the largest and most successful Departments of Physics in the world. We will be working in developing

a series of events, projects and programmes in order to facilitate interactions and networking, creating relationships that keep growing beyond graduation day. The Alumni Relations officer is Val Crowder, and we welcome you getting in touch with ideas, queries or suggestions. NOTE: ALL POSTS THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS/UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, STAFF/STUDENTS/ALUMNI, OR OF INTEREST TO THE COMMUNITY WILL BE DELETED AND USERS BANNED. The Administrators have the right to delete whatever they do not think suitable for the audience. This would include personal services, politics, religion, discrimination of any kind, topics not related with our work in any way, etc.

Researchers at the University of Oxford have made an important advance in quantum physics, successfully creating a new f...
04/06/2026

Researchers at the University of Oxford have made an important advance in quantum physics, successfully creating a new family of Schrödinger’s cat-like states 🐈‍⬛
Published in Physical Review X, the team used a single trapped ion to sculpt highly complex quantum superpositions with unprecedented programmable control. This breakthrough expands the toolkit for quantum error correction and opens new pathways for developing next-generation quantum computing and sensing technologies.
Read the article in full via link in bio or visit https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/oxford-physicists-create-new-family-schrodingers-cat-states 🐈‍⬛

The image shows at the top a Reconstructed Wigner function of a superposition of two trisqueezed states; its sixfold rotational symmetry and regions of Wigner negativity reveal highly non-classical quantum interference in the ion’s motion; and at the bottom, an image of researchers involved in this work at the lab.

04/06/2026

The Superconductivity CDT Partners’ Day recently brought together students, academics, and industry leaders at the University of Oxford.
Representing a joint doctoral programme between Bristol, Cambridge, and Oxford, researchers showcased their work following hands-on industry placements.
The morning session on superconducting technologies featured contributions from representatives of National Grid, Oxford Quantum Circuits, Quantum Design Oxford, UKAEA and ICE Oxford, followed by a panel discussion. The afternoon career and skills session heard from Tokamak Energy, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Siemens Healthineers, OpenStar Technologies as well as Quantum Design Oxford, again closing with a panel discussion. The event successfully bridged the gap between academic research and commercial applications to shape the future of superconductivity.
Read the news in full, via link in bio or https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/superconductivity-cdt-partners-day-strengthens-links-industry

Scientists at the University of Oxford and international partners have made a breakthrough in exoplanet research.By stud...
03/06/2026

Scientists at the University of Oxford and international partners have made a breakthrough in exoplanet research.
By studying seven ultra-hot gas giants, they discovered that hotter planets surprisingly have slower wind speeds. The team concluded that powerful magnetic fields are acting as a brake, slowing the atmosphere down. Published in Nature Astronomy, this provides the first robust proof of magnetism on planets outside our Solar System. Read article in full via link in bio or visit https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/strange-winds-reveal-strongest-hints-yet-magnetic-activity-exoplanets

We are incredibly grateful to artist Keith Tyson for his generous £250,000 pledge to part-fund the historic Savilian Pro...
03/06/2026

We are incredibly grateful to artist Keith Tyson for his generous £250,000 pledge to part-fund the historic Savilian Professorship of Astronomy at the University of Oxford. First established in 1619, this prestigious chair is a living piece of national heritage. Keith’s wonderful donation marks the first step in our campaign to fully endow the professorship, securing the future of cutting-edge astrophysics for generations to come. Thank you, Keith! ✨
Read the full article via link in bio or https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/keith-tyson-supports-prestigious-professorship

Dr Shruti Nath has partnered with grassroots initiative AfriClimate AI, as Research lead. The collaboration focuses on '...
02/06/2026

Dr Shruti Nath has partnered with grassroots initiative AfriClimate AI, as Research lead. The collaboration focuses on 'Forecast4Africa', a project developing AI-powered forecasting systems like FineCast. Rather than replacing existing systems, these models will calibrate global data against trusted local observations to improve early warning systems, agriculture, and disaster management across Africa.
Read the fascinating project in full via link in bio or visit https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/ai-led-weather-forecasting-systems-africa

Scientists at Oxford, Imperial, and OIST have beaten a fundamental barrier in optical measurement known as 'Rayleigh’s c...
02/06/2026

Scientists at Oxford, Imperial, and OIST have beaten a fundamental barrier in optical measurement known as 'Rayleigh’s curse'. By using a warm caesium vapour quantum memory as a programmable mode filter, the team achieved a 34-fold increase in frequency measurement precision. Published in Nature Sensors, this breakthrough paves the way for ultra-sensitive Doppler LiDAR, better chemical spectroscopy, and next-generation quantum networks.
Read the full article via link in bio or visit https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/quantum-memory-sharpens-precision-measurements

01/06/2026

You may have heard of ions, but have you ever seen one trapped middair in a vacuum in a black box underground?

Two of our DPhil students, William Cutler and Sophie Decoppet, gave us a tour of the ABaQuS Trapped Ion Quantum Computing Lab where they do just that!

This lab participated in our Lab to Life event last month. For one evening a year, the Department of Physics opens its doors for visitors to explore our laboratories, attend short talks, and engage with hands-on stalls.

Check it out!

How do living cells communicate mechanically with their surroundings? Oxford physicists found that when "active matter" ...
01/06/2026

How do living cells communicate mechanically with their surroundings? Oxford physicists found that when "active matter" like bacteria creates chaotic turbulence, the surrounding fluid doesn't copy it. Instead, it acts as a low-pass filter—inheriting large-scale flows while stripping out tiny swirls. This discovery of a new "low-Reynolds-number turbulence" could revolutionize how we measure cellular forces in wound healing and cancer research.
Read the full article: Link in bio or https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/new-findings-fluid-dynamics-inside-living-matter

Oxford physicist Dr Shruti Nath has joined AfriClimate AI as Research Lead, helping to build AI weather forecasting syst...
01/06/2026

Oxford physicist Dr Shruti Nath has joined AfriClimate AI as Research Lead, helping to build AI weather forecasting systems designed specifically for African communities and meteorological agencies. The partnership brings together climate science, AI expertise, and local knowledge to ensure the continent shapes — not just receives — the future of weather forecasting.
Find out more: https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/news/ai-led-weather-forecasting-systems-africa

We start June – Pride Month – with exciting news: Our Physics LGBT+ Network has a new logo, and with it, a whole set of ...
01/06/2026

We start June – Pride Month – with exciting news: Our Physics LGBT+ Network has a new logo, and with it, a whole set of merchandise is coming your way, watch this space!. All proceeds will go to support our activities, that started in 2022 and keep growing. Don’t miss our next Pride Lecture given by Prof Peter Norreys on June 10th (see separate posters).
Dr Jake Taylor, Glasstone Fellow at the Department of Physics, spearheaded the initiative: “I started the Pride Lecture series as a way celebrate LGBT+ role models in physics. Growing up, I couldn’t name any LGBT+ people in physics, and that was a problem because I didn’t see someone like me in a career I really wanted; I didn’t think I’d belong, or that it was a career that people like me have. With this public lecture series I want to highlight the outstanding role models we do have, so that young LGBT+ people can see someone like themselves in the field of physics. Hopefully, this might encourage them to pursue their dreams of studying the physical processes that govern the world around us.”
We thank everyone who is supporting our efforts and especially Pride in STEM, who will be providing the funding for this year's Pride Lecture.
More info https://prideinstem.org/.
We thank Dr Joby Razzell Hollis for designing the logo, you can find more information about his work here: https://razzellhollis.com/

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