DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics

The course is hosted by the Condensed Matter Physics sub-department, one of six sub-departments of the Department of Physics, with most facilities and offices located in the Clarendon laboratory. Research projects available for the DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics include topics in:

• biological physics
• quantum materials and semiconductor materials
• devices and nanostructures

A list of typical research projects on offer in the three research themes can be found on the course pages on the department's website. Please note that not all projects may be available at the time of your application.

You will be assigned a specific research project, which can evolve during the course of your DPhil. You will be supervised throughout the course and join the research group of your supervisor.

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 required to attend lectures and courses to increase your basic and specialist physics knowledge and in preparation for the research you will carry out. This taught element is tailor-made for the individual student, and will be agreed between you and your supervisor, with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. You will also have the opportunity to follow courses taught at other departments across the Maths, Physics and Life Sciences division.

In the following years, you will concentrate on your research work. Alongside this, you will be strongly encouraged to take part in further courses, including a rich palette of transferable skills courses offered by the University, and to attend seminars and colloquia in the Department of Physics and elsewhere.

Some research themes organise workshops and away days, specifically designed to give you the opportunity to present your research to a broader audience. Poster and oral presentations are also part of the ongoing student assessment.

Attendance

There will usually be the opportunity to attend conferences or conduct experiments, both in the extensive research facilities of the Clarendon Laboratory and at other institutions inside or outside the UK.

Resources to support your study

Academic resources

The Clarendon Laboratory has extensive experimental facilities for research in Condensed Matter Physics and most students will have the opportunity to access the appropriate facilities for research in their field. These include the:

• nanofabrication facility
• crystal growth laboratory
• Centre for Applied Superconductivity laboratory
• magnetic characterisation suite
• MBE facility for epitaxial thin films and multilayers
• X-ray diffraction laboratory
• Nicholas Kurti High Magnetic Field Laboratory
• Atomic Force Microscopy Laboratory
• facilities for protein expression, cell culture and biophysical measurements.

The department's website provides further details and a description of these facilities.

DPhil students also have access to the Radcliffe Science Library, which also provides extensive on-line services, including access to most relevant journals in the field of Condensed Matter Physics.

Non-Academic Resources

There is a range of welfare and academic support available in the department. Your supervisor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and Graduate Administrator are all available to offer support. There are also several support networks in Physics, all of which are available to our graduate students. These include:

• Oxford Physics Gender Equity Network (OPGEN), which is run by a committee drawn from across the students, academics and staff in the Department of Physics and organises events and campaigns to promote gender equity in the department.
• The Graduate Liaison Committee (GLC). The GLC’s purpose is to discuss issues that may concern graduate students in the department such as the quality of graduate courses, availability of skills training, accessibility to library and IT services, and general student welfare.
• The Graduate Peer Support Network, which is a subgroup of the informal mentoring network Physics Thrive

Mental health first aiders are an initial point of contact for students experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. They are members of staff of our department, and have completed a two-day mental health first-aid training course, accredited by Mental Health England. They are trained to recognise the symptoms of mental ill health, provide initial help and guide a person towards appropriate professional help. Mental Health First Aiders are not trained to be therapists, but they are taught how to respond in a crisis.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course 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.

Many DPhil students are co-supervised by a University member of staff, usually from the Department of Physics or another Department within the University. Some schemes, such as the Joint Max Planck Training Programme in Quantum Materials or the Large-Scale facility studentships (eg the Diamond Doctoral Studentship Programme) require a co-supervisor from outside the University. In all these cases, your main University supervisor will at all times be responsible for your progress and for ensuring that the project is of suitable content and level to satisfy the normal expectations of a DPhil at the University.

The frequency of student-supervisor meetings varies depending on the nature of the project. Most supervisors run an extended research group, including several DPhil students and post-docs, who interact often. New students will also be welcome in the wider Oxford Physics community, currently hosting over 350 DPhil students, with multiple opportunities of mutual support and social interactions.

Assessment

At the end of the first year you are expected to submit a report on your research and to defend it in an interview with the Graduate Studies Panel and a specialist reader. The panel will determine whether you can transfer status from Probationer Research Student (PRS) to DPhil student.

Towards the end of the second year, you will present a poster in an open session, attended by the Graduate Studies Panel and many members of the Condensed Matter Physics sub-department. Discussion of your research project with panel members and others at the poster session will contribute to the decision whether to confirm your status as DPhil student the following year.  This decision will be usually taken at the beginning of the third year, following an interview with the Graduate Studies Panel, focussing on your current results and your thesis plans.

At the end of the third year, you are expected to give a talk, attended the Graduate Studies Panel and many members of the Condensed Matter Physics sub-department, and to answer questions following your presentation.  

You will be expected to submit a substantial original thesis after three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners (one internal and one external).  Most students would have published one or more original research paper by the time they are awarded a DPhil.

Graduate destinations

Candidates for a DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics will have demonstrated a strong grounding on the relevant physics foundations, combined with experimental and analytical skills (eg the ability of design their own experiments to test hypotheses), strong motivation and resilience and the ability to manage their workload independently, often under time pressure – all qualities that are much sought after by potential employers.  Therefore, a DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics serves as a broad high-level qualification, providing a springboard for a variety of careers in research and beyond. Past students have found careers in academic and industrial research organisations, the financial sector, information technology, consultancy, media etc. Some go on to further training in, for example, medicine and law.

College preference

The following colleges accept students on the DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics: