InternalSummerPlacementProjects2018
Internal Summer Placements 2018
Projects for SUMMER 2018
Projects are typically 6-8 weeks depending on how many are funded each year, below is a list of projects sent to me. However please talk to possible supervisors and encourage them to create a project title to match your interests.
Title: Defects in Spin Ice
Supervisor: Professor Jon Goff
Duration: 8 weeks
The proposal for the observation of magnetic monopoles in spin ice [1] has enjoyed much success in the intermediate temperature regime [2,3]. However, low-temperature measurements now point to the importance of defects in monopole dynamics, in providing extrinsic resistance for monopole currents [4]. This project is to study the defect structures of spin ice materials using x-ray diffraction. The work will include the measurements of single crystals using the x-ray equipment at Royal Holloway, structural refinement of the Bragg reflections, and computer simulations of the diffuse scattering.
[1] C. Castelnovo et al., Nature 451, 42 (2008) [2] D.J.P. Morris et al., Science 326, 411 (2009) [3] T. Fennel et al., Science 326, 415 (2009) [4] H.M. Revell et al., Nature Physics 9, 34 (2013
Title: Development of a AmBe calibration tagging system for DEAP-3600
Supervisor: Dr Joseph Walding
Duration: 8 weeks
Dark matter makes up three quarters of the matter of the Universe but as yet we have not determined what it is. DEAP-3600 is a dark matter experiment based at SNOLAB in Ontario, Canada which hopes to shed light on this question.
The challenge for all dark matter detectors is distinguishing signal from background events, as such calibration systems are key to an experiments success.
We are looking for a student to work within the RHUL dark matter group helping to develop a new tagging system for the the AmBe neutron source used by DEAP-3600 to characterise the detector response to nuclear recoils, the signal of dark matter interactions. Results will be verified against the DEAP-3600 simulation package written in C++ based on the GEANT4 and ROOT packages.
Title: Photon Counting for DarkSide-20k
Supervisor: Dr Alistair Butcher
Duration: 8 weeks
DarkSide-20k is a dark matter direct detection experiment currently in the research and development phase. It is expected to start operations in 2020 and will produce a leading limit on the WIMP dark matter cross section. The detector comprises a liquid argon time projection chamber, instrumented by silicon photomultipliers (Si-PMs). Si-PMs are a new technology which are expected to be used in many next generation experiments. However, they must be fully understood to be used in precision physics. We are looking for a student to help implement a statistical photoelectron counting method in the DarkSide-20k analysis software. This work will happen in conjunction with Si-PM characterisation with the aim to introduce measured probability distributions into the method.
Title: High Pressure TPCs for neutrinos
Supervisor: Dr Asher Kaboth
Duration: 8 weeks
Neutrino oscillations show that neutrinos have mass, and as a result, provide a glimpse beyond the standard model of particle physics. Neutrino interactions with nuclei, however, are a major uncertainty in oscillation experiments. At RHUL, we are building a new kind of detector to help remove this uncertainty. This detector is a high pressure time projection chamber, which allows a precise understanding of these interactions. We are looking for a student who who help build and test this detector. This is a highly hardware-oriented project, with hands-on work constructing, testing, and operating a detector.
Title: Studying Top quark events at ATLAS
Supervisor: Dr Veronique Boisvert
Duration: 8 weeks
This project will focus on using simulated events from ATLAS and using C++ code to analyse those events. The student will learn more about the particle physics done at the LHC and focus on learning about the top quark, in terms of its production, its decay and interesting signatures and its connection with the Higgs boson. Although an interest in programming is necessary as this project is purely computing based, prior knowledge of C++ is not required.
Title:Development of advanced instrumentation for charged particle beam using Cherenkov Diffraction Radiation
Supervisor: Dr Pavel Karataev
Duration: 8 weeks
Title: Novel electronic states including unconventional superconductivity at the border of magnetism
Supervisor: Dr Philipp Niklowitz
Duration: 8 weeks
This research activity in which this project will be embedded has the aim to explore novel states of electronic matter including unconventional superconductivity. We focus in particular on electronic systems in the vicinity of magnetic order. Some states like conventional metallic states or conventional superconductivity are already well understood. However, magnetic interactions between conduction electrons, which are enhanced near magnetic quantum phase transitions can lead to more exotic states of matter.
Experimentally, magnetic quantum phase transitions are reached by cooling a magnetically ordered material to low temperatures and tune the system at low temperatures. We use high-pressure techniques for tuning. The project student will become familiar with high-pressure and low-temperature techniques. The student will have the opportunity to contribute to the exploration of pressure-temperature phase diagrams of promising candidate materials, which might include recently discovered Fe-based superconductors.
Title: Projects within the Low Temperature Lab
Supervisor: John Saunders/Andrew Casey/Lev levitin
Duration: 8 weeks
Experimental or simulations projects related to the various low temperature phsyics activities, plus a possible preparation of an new outreach demonstration.
Title: Thermalisation and lack of thermalisation in Many-Body Localised systems (Theory project)
Supervisor:Dr. Andrew Ho
Duration: 8 weeks
A new class of quantum interacting systems has been identified recently: in these many-body localised systems (mostly spin-chains with various types of disorder), the systems can remember their local initial condition, and thus fail to thermalise to some equilibrium state, in violation of the Eigenstate Thermalisation Hypothesis. This can occur for possibly all states of the system, not just near the ground state where there may be a gap in the spectrum to protect any diffusive behaviour (as for an interacting insulator). In this project, we will explore other classes of quantum interacting systems that may exhibit such lack of thermalisation throughout large parts of the spectrum, but without needing disorder.
For an introductory review, see Nandkishore and Huse, Annu. Rev. Condens. Matter Phys. 2015.6:15-38
Title: Condensed Matter Physics
Supervisor: Dr James Nicholls
Duration: 8 weeks
As part of a collaboration (samples and theory from Cambridge & UCL) we wish to cool the electrons in semiconductor devices down to less than 1 mK. This has never been achieved before and in low-dimensional systems such as 1D wires and 0D quantum dots it is predicted that electrons will order into new quantum states. In this project there will be a variety of activities that will contribute to the setting up of preliminary measurements on new equipment: testing semiconductor devices at 4.2 K, making and testing filters for low noise measurements, writing software to control equipment or analyse data, modelling, etc. There will be opportunities to develop new skills and to work in a team of researchers (post docs, academics, technicians).
Title: Nano-fabrication and low temperature study of superconducting double contour interferometer in application to ultra-sensitive magnetometry
Supervisor: Dr V Antonov
Duration: 6 weeks
We intend to fabricate and study operation of a new device, the superconducting differential double contour interferometer (DDCI), in the application for the ultra-sensitive detection of magnetic flux. DDCI consists of two nano-scale metallic/superconducting contours weakly coupled by to each other. In such a device a change of the critical current in superconductor, caused by an external magnetic flux or a nearby electric current, happens in a step-like manner when the angular momentum quantum number changes by one in one of the two contours. With a choice of parameters, the DDCI may outperform traditional superconducting quantum interference devices. The project will develop skill of operation at nano fabrication facilities with Electron Beam Lithography system, thin film deposition, low temperature experiment, analysis and modelling of the experimental data.
Title: Quantum Acoustics with Superfluid Helium
Supervisor: Dr Xavier Rojas
Duration: 8 weeks
Quantum technologies is a rapidly developing area of research. The use of mechanical systems as quantum resources presents a lot of interest in fundamental physics, sensing, transduction, quantum information processing and metrology. Today, researchers can control and measure mechanical systems and observe quantum mechanical effects experimentally with high confidence, which has led to the rise of a new area of research: quantum acoustics.
In our lab, we are developing a new class of mechanical systems based on the confinement of superfluid helium into nanoscale acoustic cavities. Superfluid helium is an exotic fluid with no viscosity at low temperature. By exploiting this unique property, we can make extremely low loss acoustic resonators [1,2]. This summer project is to work on the theory for a new type of superfluid acoustic resonators, which offers excellent prospect in the growing field of quantum acoustics. There is also the possibility to join our group for an experimental project and learn about low temperature physics.
[1] X. Rojas, et al. Phys. Rev B91, 024503
[2] De Lorenzo, et al. New Journal of Physics 16, 113020
Title: Spin supercurrent in superconducting devices
Supervisor: Dr Xavier Rojas/ Dr Xavier Montiel
Duration: 8 weeks
The generation and manipulation of spin supercurrent is one of the main challenge of superconducting spintronics [1]. Theoretical predictions and simulations of spin supercurrent in mesoscopic devices are achieved by solving the Usadel equations that describe the superconductivity in the dirty limit. Nevertheless, the Usadel equations have been mainly solved in one dimension. The project is theoretical and aims at solving the Usadel equations in 2D and 3D by the use of commercially available software for finite-element method. The project will develop the knowledge in condensed matter theory, Green functions formalism and numerical methods for solving differential equations.
[1] M. Eschrig, Rep. Prog. Phys. 78 (2015) 104501