Postgraduate Study
Interested in a PhD in physics? We would love to hear from you—we are always happy to show people around the group and answer any questions you might have about postgraduate studies. You can contact our members based upon your interests, and potential supervisors are listed below. For general enquiries, please contact Dr Iain Martin.
Most of our postgraduate students are funded by STFC (the number of places varies each year), and other scholarships are potentially available. Deadlines vary for different scholarships: the College Scholarship (open to all) has a deadline of 31 January, and we typically start to consider the applicant pool following this deadline. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship (rather than an STFC studentship), we recommend that you get in touch with us by the end of December.
Research in Glasgow brings together topics from the forefront of experimental, theoretical and computational science. Postgraduate students benefit from enrolment in the Scottish Graduate School in Physics. Glasgow is also one of the friendliest cities to live in.
Our list of past staff and students gives an indication of future careers for our alumni.
How to Apply
Applications are centrally coordinated by the University. The graduate school has more information on how to apply for a PhD.
The first step is to think about what area you are interested in working in. You may browse the areas of research below. Projects change a little each year, and may adapt based upon the applications that we receive. You are encouraged to look at the publications of our staff to get an idea of the areas they are working in, and you may like to contact previous students to see what they are like as an adviser.
Having decided that you are interested in applying, you will need to consider potential funding. There are many different funding sources available with differing eligibility requirements. Some have early deadlines and require extra preparation beyond what is needed for our university application system. It is important to be organised. You may think of finding the right scholarship for you as your first research project.
You will need to identify a prospective supervisor for the application form. We group our applicants into (i) those interested in experimental/instrumental projects and (ii) those interested in data-analysis/astrophysics projects, so it is not too important who you put down so long as it is someone from the right area. However, please let the person you pick know you are considering applying so that we can offer guidance, and it is also important to let us know once you submit your application form, so we can check that we receive it.
The university application form will ask you to submit a research proposal. We do not expect students to know what they will work on ahead of time. Please consider this as an opportunity to talk about your interests, and to demonstrate your skills and knowledge.
What we look for in an application is evidence of:
- Academic excellence. This is normally evidenced in your exam results and if you have won any prizes, and your reference letter writer may like to mention any significant achievements. PhD applicants usually require at least an upper second class Masters degree, or equivalent, in physics or a closely related subject. As a PhD student, you will need to learn new skills, so we like to see evidence of learning: do not worry if your first-year results were poor but your later ones are better, as we like to see that type of progress. If you have poor results due to extenuating circumstances, make sure these are noted in your application. For experimental/instrumental applicants, we are most interested in laboratory courses and practical project work, while for data-analysis/astrophysics applicants we are most interested in courses on data analysis (perhaps involving Bayesian inference or signal processing) and courses on topics like general relativity that show a good grounding in theoretical physics.
- Research skills. This is best demonstrated through past projects, perhaps as part of your degree or as a summer project. Having a reference letter written by a project supervisor is helpful in demonstrating your abilities. The project does not have to be on a topic related to the PhD area: we are interested in the skills that you developed and what you learnt from the experience. For experimental/instrumental applicants, we are most interested in any hands-on laboratory experience and in coding skills relevant to controlling laboratory equipment (e.g., LabView) and carrying out mechanical and thermal modelling (e.g., finite element modelling in Ansys or COMSOL). For data-analysis/astrophysics applicants we are most interested in skills like coding and related computer skills (e.g., experience using computing clusters, proficiency with version control software like git, and understanding of code optimisation).
- Community engagement. Success in a PhD requires more than just academic ability; therefore, in addition to academic excellence and research experience, we also look for evidence of broader community engagement. This often includes taking on responsibilities in university societies, participating in public outreach activities, or volunteering to mentor or teach others. However, there are a wide range of ways to demonstrate these qualities, from contributing to an open-source code project to organising a science-art competition.
- Project fit. It is important that students are well matched to projects: you don’t want to spend multiple years working on something you don’t enjoy! Equally, some projects require certain skills: a student might struggle on one, but thrive on another. Spending some time thinking about why you want to do a PhD with us, understanding what skills would be valuable, and reflecting on your own abilities can be useful when composing your application. Sometimes we will be looking for particular skills that we are lacking within the group and wish to develop.
Based upon your submitted materials, we will assemble a short list of candidates to interview and those to put forward for the College and CSC Scholarships. We will share a list of potential projects ahead of the interview so that we can discuss potential matches. Interviews are usually a mix of remote, and in-person for those close enough to visit us. Following interviews, offers will be made.
Areas of research
The work of the Institute for Gravitational Research is concentrated on analysing gravitational-wave signals, and using these unique observations to discover the properties of black holes, neutron stars and the Universe itself.
The main experimental areas of research are: precision novel interferometric techniques and the development of systems of ultra low mechanical loss for the suspensions of mirror test masses.
The group is also involved in the space-based LISA mission as well as data analysis and astrophysical interpretation of observations within the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.
A prospective student could choose to work on one of the following areas:
Astrophysics, Cosmology & Data analysis
Dr. Christopher Berry, Dr. Rachel Gray, Prof. Ik Siong Heng, Dr. Chris Messenger, Dr. John Veitch, Prof. Graham Woan
Gravitational waves provide a unique means to observe some of the most extreme objects in the Universe: black holes and neutron stars. We work on analysing gravitational-wave data to discover signals from merging binaries, rotating neutron stars and potentially find unexpected sources, and to infer the properties of the sources we find. We pioneer new computational techniques for these analyses including developing machine learning and stochastic sampling algorithms. Using our rapidly growing set of detections, we infer the astrophysical properties of the black hole and neutron star populations to uncover how these systems form, we measure cosmological parameters such as the expansion rate of the Universe, and we perform precision tests of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. We are seeking to answer questions that include: how do massive stars end their lives, what are neutron stars made of, and how does the Universe evolve?
Materials research
Prof Sheila Rowan, Prof Jim Hough, Prof. Giles Hammond, Dr Iain Martin and Dr Ian MacLaren.
Studies of the thermo-mechanical and electrical properties of materials such as ultra-pure sapphire and silicon for use as possible ultra-low noise mirror substrates, including investigations of novel properties at cryogenic temperatures and studies of optical coatings. The dissipative properties of these materials and their coatings will limit the sensitivity of future gravitational wave detectors and this research will be targeted at allowing future detectors to 'see' gravitational wave sources in a greater volume of the Universe. This research also has potential spin-offs with application in other areas of astronomical instrumentation such as e.g. the proposed European Extremely Large Telescope.
Advanced interferometry for third generation GW detectors
The sensitivity of third-generation detectors like the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer will surpass that of existing facilities by more than an order of magnitude. A host of new interferometry hardware is required to enable this leap forward in performance. Our institute has broad expertise in precision interferometry, suspended optics, cryogenics, and novel materials with reduced thermal noise, all critical technologies for 3G interferometers. The new Glasgow 10 m Cryogenic Interferometry Facility aims to combine these strengths to develop novel interferometry hardware and techniques for future detectors. Research themes include:
- Development, control and interferometric characterization of cryogenic test masses and suspensions composed of crystalline silicon.
- Using optical frequency combs to prototype new lock acquisition and control techniques for cryogenic GW detectors.
- The Glasgow interferometry group also leads the balanced homodyne readout upgrade for Advanced LIGO+, which is a critical technology for proposals to enhance future detectors using quantum non-demolition measurement techniques.
Optical systems for space based GW detectors
The ESA space-based LISA detector requires high precision interferometry capable of withstanding the rigours of space. The IGR developed and constructed a monolithic optical bench and specialised bonding techniques for the technology demonstrator mission (LISA Pathfinder). A parallel research program is underway to investigate a number of interferometry issues for LISA and work is also in progress to extend the optical assembly techniques developed for Pathfinder for use in the LISA mission.