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Department of Physics

The Cavendish Laboratory
 
Read more at: Mark Thomson to be the UK candidate for CERN top position

Mark Thomson to be the UK candidate for CERN top position

4 April 2024

The UK government has announced its support for Cavendish particle physicist Professor Mark Thomson, to be the next Director-General of CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. Professor Thomson is a renowned Professor of Experimental Particle Physics at the Cavendish Laboratory and a Fellow at Emmanuel College...


Read more at: Reimagining the Future of Solar Energy
solar cells

Reimagining the Future of Solar Energy

20 March 2024

New research suggests that there might be other ways to generate solar energy than just trying to make individual solar cells super-efficient. Scientists are always on the lookout for ways to make our world a better place, and one area they're focusing on is solar energy. One idea in this area is to make solar cells more...


Read more at: Slow spreading of chaos
Artist's illustration of particles in movement around an atom

Slow spreading of chaos

14 March 2024

The quantum particle in a box is a hallmark problem in physics, familiar to every physics undergraduate. Somewhat surprisingly, the problem becomes very complex if the particle is kicked around by an external force. Already in a one-dimensional world this leads to chaotic behaviour. In this case, the chaotic state reaches...


Read more at: Dorian Gangloff secures funding to boost quantum networking
Artist's impression of A multi-qubit system in a quantum dot addressed by photons.

Dorian Gangloff secures funding to boost quantum networking

13 March 2024

An ambitious project aiming to revolutionise quantum communication networks has successfully secured funding through the prestigious QuantERA 2023 call . The MEEDGARD project, short for "Memory Enhanced Entanglement Distribution with Gallium ARsenide quantum Dots,” is focusing on developing an efficient optical interface...


Read more at: UK wide Metamaterials NetworkPlus launched after securing £2.5 million funding
3D printed metamaterial

UK wide Metamaterials NetworkPlus launched after securing £2.5 million funding

1 March 2024

A new NetworkPlus to help develop the UK’s capabilities in creating novel and innovative metamaterials will be established with £2.5m of funding secured from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation(UKRI). Expanding on the previous UK Metamaterials Network (funded...


Read more at: Cambridge scientists awarded nearly 300 hours of observing time with the James Webb Space Telescope
artist's illustration of the James Webb telescope in space

Cambridge scientists awarded nearly 300 hours of observing time with the James Webb Space Telescope

1 March 2024

Scientists at the Cavendish Laboratory have been allocated more than 300 hours of observing time with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This observing time has been awarded through four successful programmes, including a Large Programme, led by Hannah Übler, Tobias Looser, Francesco D’Eugenio and Roberto Maiolino, and...


Read more at: Insights into Dark Matter's 'Coldness' Open New Cosmic Frontiers
96 million light years slices

Insights into Dark Matter's 'Coldness' Open New Cosmic Frontiers

15 February 2024

In their latest research on dark matter scientists have collected vital clues about the ‘coldness’ of the mysterious component making up 80% of all matter, revealing a deep connection between dark matter and the formation of galaxies in the early Universe. With the help of powerful telescopes, the researchers based at the...


Read more at: Braiding electrons in out-of-equilibrium topological patterns
artist's illustration of changing topological charges via braiding

Braiding electrons in out-of-equilibrium topological patterns

9 February 2024

Researchers from the Cavendish Laboratory have uncovered a new realm of topological phases, advancing our understanding of quantum phenomena. Topological phases, characterised by electrons forming intricate collective entangled structures or knots that cannot be undone, have long intrigued physicists for their distinct...


Read more at: Colossal milestone achieved for the DUNE experiment
Birds-eye view of cavern

Colossal milestone achieved for the DUNE experiment

1 February 2024

The excavation of the caverns that will house the gigantic particle detectors of the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) in Lead, South Dakota is complete. Final outfitting of the colossal caverns will begin soon and make way for the start of the installation of the DUNE detectors later this year. This momentous...


Read more at: Cavendish researcher supported to turn battery research into practice
Portrait of Akshay Rao overlayed on a photo of a mobile phone screen showing low battery

Cavendish researcher supported to turn battery research into practice

18 January 2024

Professor Akshay Rao is the only Cambridge researcher to be awarded an ERC Proof of Concept Grant for turning his groundbreaking battery research into tangible innovation. Charge Photometry could become an indispensable part of battery research and help accelerate the development of new battery technologies fit for a...


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