Nic Dinsdale
Secretary
The Quantum Light and Matter group comprises 13 academics undertaking research that explores photonics, condensed matter physics and the interaction of light and matter at the quantum level. Our research emphasizes the themes of nanostructuring, optical control and quantum coherence, with a common interest in physics at the nano-scale where quantum mechanical behaviour comes to the fore.
If you are interested in studying how to control and interact with matter and light at the quantum mechanical level, you should join us to do a PhD. Contributing approximately 50-60 publications per year in high impact journals that include Nature, Physical Review Letters and others, our group has 40-50 postgraduate students and we lead many interdisciplinary projects in collaboration with colleagues in Chemistry, Engineering, Mathematics, Electronics and the Biological Sciences.
We collaborate both with industrial partners such as Fianium, Merck, TeraView and with many Universities abroad. The QLM group occupies modern, highly-serviced laboratories with a big investment in lasers and characterisation tools. The group also controls the Nanomaterials Rapid Prototyping Facility, and has access to the University's new £80M Nanofabrication Facility.
The QLM Group is part of the Zepler Institute, a multidisciplinary research centre which brings together the University's world-leading expertise in photonics, quantum and nano- technologies and and manages the £120M state-of-the-art Zepler Institute Cleanroom Complex.
Contact us
For all enquiries, please write to:
Quantum, Light & Matter Group
School of Physics & Astronomy
University of Southampton
Southampton SO17 1BJ
United Kingdom
phone: +44 (0)23 8059 2093
fax: +44 (0)23 8059 3910
email: n.brooks@soton.ac.uk
Visit us
We are on Highfield Campus, Building 46.
PDF version of Highfield Campus map.
By rail
Fast trains from London and Bournemouth/Weymouth stop at Winchester, Southampton Central and Southampton Airport Parkway. Trains from Portsmouth and Bristol/South Wales stop at Southampton Central.
Slow trains from London and Bournemouth/Weymouth also stop at Swaythling Station, which is a five minute walk from Connaught Hall, South Stoneham and Montefiore halls of residence.
By bus or coach
National Express provides regular services from central London, Heathrow, Birmingham, Bournemouth and the North. Southampton coach station is at Western Esplanade, in the city centre. Our own Uni-link buses connect the University's Southampton campuses with the city centre and both train stations - Southampton Central and Southampton Airport Parkway.
By car
Southampton is just 75 miles (120km) from London and 21 miles (35km) from the Channel ports. The M3, M27 and A34 provide fast, direct access while the A36 is the main route to the West Country, Bristol and Wales.
From the M3 – exit at junction 14, following signs for Southampton (A33). Follow the A33 into Bassett Avenue and follow the map/signs to University campuses.
From the M27 (west or east) – leave the M27 at junction 5 (Southampton Airport) and follow the map/signs to University campuses.
Visitor parking
There is a pay and display car park on Highfield Campus, which is sited in the vicinity of Buildings 1 and 16. Please note that it can fill up very quickly during the morning.
By air
Southampton International Airport is a few minutes away from the Southampton campuses by bus or taxi (off junction 5 of the M27). There is a full UK domestic service, as well as flights to mainland Europe and the Channel Islands.
Join Us
The QLM group offers a variety of fully-funded PhD studentships across the full range of its research, and welcomes enquiries at any time: you may contact the research groups directly, or enquire about opportunities across the group from the Physics postgraduate admissions page.
For UK and EU students, we can offer fully-funded bursaries that cover all fees and provide a tax-free bursary - currently £15,285 per year - for all three years of your PhD research (with extensions possible).
Admissions requirements are an upper second class degree in physics or other relevant subject. To apply to join the group, you should at some stage fill in a university application, which you can download as part of the admissions pack or complete online here You are very welcome to contact us informally first.
We find financial support for several research students per year from EPSRC and other funders, plus we can offer at least one Faculty funded bursary per year in the form of a Mayflower Scholarship, which incorporates some teaching duties.
Postdoctoral Research in QLM
If you are interested in joining QLM as a postdoctoral research fellow, please get in touch via the contact links.
MPhys with year in experimental research
The QLM group offers a select group of Physics students the opportunity to do a MPhys with a year in experimental research. More information on this programme is available on the Physics undergraduate degree course website.