DPhil in Atomic and Laser Physics
About the course
The DPhil in Atmospheric and Laser Physics (ALP) is a research-based course of three to four years in duration. Research in atomic and laser physics involves some of the most rapidly developing areas of physical science and ranges from the fundamental physics of quantum systems to interdisciplinary application of lasers.
This course is hosted by the Atmospheric and Laser Physics sub-department, one of six sub-departments of the Department of Physics.
The sub-department researches the interaction of light and matter over an enormous range of conditions, from high-energy plasmas created by the most powerful lasers in the world, to the coherent manipulation of single quantum particles for implementing quantum information processing, to the creation of exotic states of quantum matter such as Bose-Einstein condensation.
Research in atomic and laser physics (ALP) involves some of the most rapidly developing areas of physical science and ranges from the fundamental physics of quantum systems to interdisciplinary application of lasers.
The research themes include the following, using both experiment and theory:
- quantum computation
- quantum cryptography
- quantum chaos
- quantum memories
- optical manipulation of cold atoms and molecules
- ultra-cold matter
- Bose-Einstein condensations
- optical lattices and quantum simulations
- ions traps and entanglement
- non-linear optics
- cavity quantum electrodynamics
- quantum optics
- high-intensity laser interactions
- ultra-fast X-ray science
- laser-plasma science
- attosecond optics
- optical metrology and precision spectroscopy
- fundamental tests of QED
- femtosecond combs
- EPR and NMR for QIP
- laboratory astrophysics.
A list of current projects is available on the sub-department's website.
Your research work begins on day one and will be underpinned by a taught graduate course in the first year that runs in parallel. You will be expected to attend a taught course one day a week in atomic and laser physics in the first year, comprising lectures, seminars and discussion classes at graduate level. Depending on your level of knowledge, the department may also require you to attend lectures in the final year (masters’-level) undergraduate course at Oxford.
The ALP sub-department provides a detailed timetable and syllabus list for the graduate class. Topics covered include:
- basic light-matter interaction
- photonics and quantum optics
- laser-plasma interactions
- quantum information processing and communication
- trapped particles and quantum gases
- high energy density science.
Some subjects, such as laser-plasma interactions and high energy density science, are taught across a number of sub- departments. You will also have the opportunity to follow courses taught at other departments across the Maths, Physics and Life Sciences division.
Whilst working on your research project you will engage in a thorough skills training programme which includes a range of workshops and seminars in transferable skills, generic research skills and specific research techniques. There are also numerous seminars and lectures held in the department by local and visiting physicists, and you will be provided with many opportunities to meet experts in various fields. There will also be opportunity for you to present your work at both formal and informal conferences, seminars and colloquia.
In addition, the sub-department's journal club focuses on recent research highlights in atomic and laser physics, quantum technologies, and laser-plasma interactions. Active participation is compulsory for first year graduate students and takes place once a week in term time. Many other opportunities exist to attend training courses outside the sub-department.
Attendance
The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.
Provision exists for students on some courses to undertake their research in a ‘well-founded laboratory’ outside of the University. This may require travel to and attendance at a site that is not located in Oxford. Where known, existing collaborations will be outlined on this page. Please read the course information carefully, including the additional information about course fees and costs.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.
The extent of resources, laboratories and other experimental facilities depend very strongly on the particular research project.
The department provides a good level of IT support, online access to most relevant journals and access to the Radcliffe Science Library. Access is provided to the student mechanical workshop after attending an initial training session. You will usually be allocated a desk in a shared office.
There are also small common areas in each group where people can meet up, in addition to the department's common room (canteen). The academic year starts off with a welcome to Oxford, which includes a tour of Oxford and a welcome party where the new student intake can meet the academic staff, postdoctoral researchers and second year students.
Supervision
For this course, the allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Department of Physics and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances, a supervisor may be found outside the Department of Physics.
You will have the opportunity to meet with your supervisor individually to discuss your project.
Assessment
All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status.
A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil status will require a written report. If you are successful at transfer you will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status to show that your work continues to be on track. This will need to done within nine terms of admission for full-time students.
Full-time students will be expected to submit a thesis within 12 terms of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in Atomic and Laser Physics you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce)
Graduate destinations
A large number of former ALP graduate students now pursue careers in either academia or industry, predominantly focusing on research and development.
Changes to this course and your supervision
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in physics, mathematics or related fields. The equivalent of a UK four-year integrated MPhys or MSci is typically required. Bachelor's degrees with a minimum four years' standard duration may also satisfy the entry requirements.
Entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent as well as a master's degree. In exceptional cases, the requirement for a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours can be alternatively demonstrated by a graduate master’s degree or substantial directly-related professional or research experience.
For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.5 out of 4.0. However, selection of candidates also depends on other factors in your application and most successful applicants have achieved higher GPA scores.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
It is helpful to include details of any of the following applicable attributes, which may strengthen your application:
- Details of any publications. Many candidates with no peer-reviewed publications receive offers each year.
- Research or professional experience in areas aligned with the proposed supervisors' research interests.
- Depending on the project, evidence of training in scientific computer programming or related numerical techniques.
- Previous experience in a scientific or technical research environment.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's standard level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's standard level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.0 | 6.5 |
TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 100 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced* | 185 | 176 |
| C2 Proficiency† | 185 | 176 |
*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.
After the deadline the applications are looked at by potential supervisors (either those named by the applicant or another supervisor may show interest in the candidate). The Graduate Admissions Committee meet to discuss all the applications which ends with an interview list. Candidates and potential supervisors are canvassed for dates/times when the interview can take place. Where possible these are face to face; however, video link interviews will be held for overseas candidates.
A formal interview will be held, usually with three academics present (at least one representative from the Graduate Admissions Committee). The interview lasts 30 minutes which includes a 10 minute presentation on subjects such as a practical scientific work project that you have carried out as part of your course or a vacation project, a part of your course work or a theoretical topic that you found interesting. You should be prepared to answer questions on your presentation. The committee will also ask you questions about your current undergraduate studies and what your plans are for the future. After the formal interview there is the opportunity to visit group heads in the areas of research in which you are most interested, to discuss the research project(s) on offer and be shown around the department (time permitting). There is the possibility for this to be conducted via Teams for any overseas candidates.
You will be notified, in writing, of the outcome of your interview as soon as a decision has been made.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
Some postgraduate research students in science, engineering and technology subjects will need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate prior to applying for a Student visa (under the Student Route). For some courses, the requirement to apply for an ATAS certificate may depend on your research area.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Physics
As a graduate student at Oxford’s Department of Physics, you will work alongside world experts and have access to the department’s world-class facilities.
Graduate students also get to benefit from the close relations the department foster’s with other facilities in the UK and around the world. In the UK, these include the leading science and innovation campus at Harwell home to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and Diamond Light Source synchrotron among others. Internationally, it extends to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, T2K in Japan, DUNE in the USA and large telescopes around the world.
Each year, the department welcomes approximately 90 graduate research students to study for a 3 to 4-year DPhil research degree – which is equivalent to a PhD. A taught masters’ degree course is offered joined by the department and the Mathematical Institute and welcomes approximately 50 students annually.
The department’s research students have access to world-class facilities and resources, from the ultra-low vibration and ultra-low temperature labs in the state-of-the-art Beecroft Building, to the in-house specialist research facilities, mechanical and electronic workshops and technicians.
Research students can choose from a range of specialisms across the six sub-departments of astrophysics; atmospheric, oceanic and planetary physics; atomic and laser physics; condensed matter physics; particle physics; and theoretical physics. Each of these sub-departments is autonomous, although many of the research projects available are interdisciplinary.
Funding
For entry in the 2025-26 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.
If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.
To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible, use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including a range of external funding, loan schemes for postgraduate study and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the January deadline as listed on our fees, funding and scholarship search tool.
Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:
Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.
For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.
Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the department's website.
Costs
Annual fees for entry in 2025-26
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £10,070 |
| Overseas | £33,370 |
Information about course fees
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges.
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.
Continuation charges
Following the period of fee liability, you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.
Where can I find further information about fees?
The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees, including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability.
Additional information
There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs, which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.
College preference
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference.
If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide.
The following colleges accept students on the DPhil in Atomic and Laser Physics:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the December deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £20 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students
If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission.
Application fee waivers for eligible associated courses
If you apply to this course and are considering applying (or have already applied) to any of the associated courses listed below, you can request an application fee waiver so that you only need to pay one application fee. We recommend that you use your application fee waiver to apply only for eligible courses that are closely related in research area to this one.
For full details about how to request an application fee waiver, please select the course you are interested in from the list below and refer to the equivalent section of its course page.
The following associated courses are taking part in this application fee waiver scheme:
- Autonomous Intelligent Machines and Systems, EPSRC CDT
- Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (Oxford-GSK), DPhil (expected to open soon)
- Cancer Science (Biological background), CDT
- Cancer Science (Clinician), DPhil
- Cancer Science (Intercalation), DPhil
- Cancer Science (Maths/Physics background), CDT
- Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet, CDT
- Engineering Biology, BBSRC and EPSRC CDT
- Fusion Power, EPSRC CDT
- Genomic Medicine and Statistics, DPhil
- Healthcare Data Science, EPSRC CDT
- Inflammatory and Musculoskeletal Disease, DPhil
- Inorganic Materials for Advanced Manufacturing, EPSRC CDT
- Intelligent Earth, UKRI CDT in AI for the Environment
- Materials 4.0, EPSRC CDT
- Mathematics of Random Systems: Analysis, Modelling and Algorithms, CDT
- Neuroscience (1+3), DPhil
- Quantum Informatics, EPSRC CDT (expected to open soon)
- Robotics and AI for Net Zero, EPSRC CDT (expected to open soon)
- Statistics and Machine Learning, EPSRC CDT
- Superconductivity: Enabling Transformative Technologies, EPSRC CDT (expected to open soon)
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You are encouraged to communicate with the department in order refine your application, especially where studentships are involved, using the contact details provided on this page.
A description of potential research projects is published on the department's website. You may contact academic members of staff after reading these project descriptions to clarify specific aspects of prospective projects before submitting your application.
Research areas may overlap across the different physics DPhil courses. If you are in any doubt about which course(s) to apply to, you are advised to read each of the physics course pages carefully before starting an application. If you have any course-related questions, please refer to the 'Further information and enquiries' section on each page for the relevant contact details.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Proposed field and title of research project
If you are applying to an advertised project, please enter the title of up to 5 advertised projects (in order of preference or indicating equal preference) under 'Proposed field and title of research project'. Please note, John Adams Institute for Accelerator Science candidates should also apply to this course. Alternatively, you can use this to indicate an interest in one or more of our key research themes, ie quantum science, or high – energy density science.
If you are applying with your own research proposal, enter your project title, as agreed with your potential supervisor (s) under 'Proposed field and title of research project'.
You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).
Proposed supervisor
Under 'Proposed supervisor name' enter the name of the academic(s) whom you would like to supervise your research.
Referees:
Three overall, all of which must be academic
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work in a group. All references should be academic.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Research proposal:
A maximum of 500 words
A research proposal outlining your research interests and experience should be submitted.
The proposal should outline your reasons for wishing to study for a DPhil in Atomic and Laser Physics, and the type of research project that you wish to undertake.
It is not necessary to be very specific about your choice of project, but if you do have a clear preference for a particular research area or supervisor please indicate and explain this.
You should describe previous research experience.
The proposal should be written in English and the overall page count should include any bibliography.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
This will be assessed for evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study, the ability to present a reasoned case in English, and commitment to the subject.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.