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Introduction

I went I went to school in Melbourne Australia and studied MPhys at Keble College. I stayed in Oxford afterwards and further pursued a DPhil in Condensed Matter Physics. Currently, I am a post-doctoral researcher in Terahertz Photonics Group within the Physics department.

Teaching

I teach first and third-year undergraduates at Queen’s on a range of topics closely related to my research, including laser physics and semiconductor physics.

Research

I am interested in studying semiconducting materials and their optoelectronic applications, for example as efficient solar energy absorbers in mitigating impacts from the global climate change. My research therefore focusses on the class of materials of metal halide perovskites. I investigate the fabrication technique of vacuum deposition in forming highly homogenous thin films over a large area. I further incorporate these layers into p-n junction-style photovoltaic devices in realising both excellent solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiency and operational stability.  In parallel, I perform a broad range of spectroscopies to probe the photophysical properties of perovskite thin films and devices.

Publications

Please find my full list of publications visiting this link.

Introduction

I am one of the two physics Fellows at Queen’s. I went to a large comprehensive school in North Yorkshire (Stokesley School, Stokesley) and then came to Oxford for my undergraduate degree (an MPhys at Balliol College). I really enjoyed learning physics, especially the particle physics options, so moved on to a DPhil in particle physics, where I studied particles called neutrinos (also in Oxford, at St. Cross College). After eight years in Oxford, I moved to the USA as a Lederman Fellow at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (the USA’s particle physics lab, located just outside Chicago) for four years. I returned to Oxford in 2021 as a UKRI Future Leader’s Fellow and Lecturer at Lincoln College, Oxford. I then took up my current position at Queen’s in 2024.

Teaching

I teach a range of topics to undergraduate students at Queen’s, including classical mechanics, special relativity, quantum mechanics, and nuclear and particle physics. I also typically supervise around three graduate (DPhil) students and two or three post-doctoral researchers.

Research

I am an experimental particle physicist, and my research is on particles called neutrinos. Neutrinos are the most abundant massive particle in the universe, but they almost never interact with anything, which means it’s very hard to detect that they are even there. Neutrinos come in three types, or “flavours”, and the most interesting thing about them is that they can change between flavours. The big question in neutrino physics now is whether neutrinos and the antimatter version, antineutrinos, change in the same way – if they don’t, it could be a hint to why the universe is made only of matter, even though we think equal amounts of matter and antimatter were created in the Big Bang. My research focuses on studying how neutrinos change and how they interact in detectors. I am a member of multiple international experimental collaborations: MicroBooNE (where I am Physics Coordinator, responsible for scientific leadership on the experiment), the Short Baseline Near Detector (SBND), T2K, and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE).

If you’d like to know more, I host a YouTube series (created with Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory) about neutrino physics called “Even Bananas” (because everything creates neutrinos – the Sun, the Earth, and…even bananas!).

Publications

My publications are listed on the department website here: https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/our-people/duffy/publications

Courses

  • MPhys (Hons) Physics (4 years)
  • MPhysPhil (Hons) Physics and Philosophy (4 years)

Physics and Physics & Philosophy are strong subjects at Queen’s and we wish to maintain a high standard in this subject. We usually admit five or six students each year, with the possibility of one or two of those reading Physics & Philosophy. All candidates must have A-levels in Physics and in Mathematics, or equivalent, in order to apply. Entrance requirements with A-levels are A*AA, with A*A in Mathematics or Physics. Common third A-levels are Further Maths or Chemistry, though neither is essential. We accept candidates taking the International Baccalaureate and any other equivalent qualification.

The courses

The University offers a four-year integrated Master’s course in Physics (MPhys). Full details of what is taught can be found at the Physics Department website (see link below). There is also a joint honours degree with the Faculty of Philosophy (MPhysPhil).

Those students who intend to pursue a career in Physics beyond University are encouraged to undertake research experience (up to six weeks) during the vacation periods of their second year and College funding is available to help support this. The Physics collection in the College library is kept up to date and undergraduate computing facilities suited to Physics students are available in College.

Teaching

Tuition during the first three years takes place primarily in College, mostly in groups of two students with a tutor. Students receive such tutorials and also some classes from College Fellows and Lecturers. In the fourth year of the Master’s courses the teaching is organised centrally by the Department of Physics, as students take specialised options taught by experts in their fields. Physics and Philosophy students will also be taught by the College’s Philosophy tutors. Prof Taylor works in the fields of quantum optics and nanotechnology. Dr Duffy is an experimental particle physicist and Dr Barnes is a condensed matter physicist who primarily teaches mathematics.

Interviews

Our selection process in Physics includes two interviews that are designed to assess a candidate’s potential for the course, taking all factors into account and not simply his or her current ability as reflected in examination results. One interview will focus on the candidate’s mathematical ability and reasoning, whilst the other will focus primarily on Physics. All candidates will receive at least one more interview at another college. However, examination ability does carry significant weight, especially in Mathematics and Physics.


Introduction

Having studied at a local comprehensive school, I went to Imperial College in London to study Physics at degree level.  I then stayed on at Imperial to do a PhD and further research into solar cells, with a couple of months spent at The Electrotechnical Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan during this time.  I next worked in industry for over 10 years on optoelectronic devices; semiconductor lasers and light emitting diodes based in GaAs and InGaN.  I returned to academia in 2008 when I started tutoring at The Queen’s College.  I now also manage the undergraduate teaching laboratories in the Physics Department in addition to my tutorial role in the College.

Teaching

I tutor first and second year mathematics to both Materials Science and Physics undergraduates at the College.  I lecture on the Mathematical, Physical and Life Science (MPLS) bridging programme, covering mathematics and mechanics.  I also help out with other outreach and widening participation events including Opportunity Oxford and UNIQ.

Research

While I do not currently do research, I spent 10 years researching optoelectronic devices in industry, in addition to six years of research into quantum well solar cells as part of my PhD and post-doctoral research.


Introduction

I am one of the two physics tutors at The Queen’s College. After completing my DPhil at Hertford College in 1983 I was elected to a Junior Research Fellowship at St. John’s College here in Oxford. In 1986 I was elected to a Royal Society University Research Fellowship, which I held until 1990, when I was elected to a Fellowship at Queen’s, and to a University Lectureship at the Department of Physics. I was awarded the title of Professor of Condensed Matter Physics in 2008. I was Head of Condensed Matter Physics from September 2017 until September 2022.  I am the Entertainment Secretary and Wine Steward here at Queen’s. Physics is part of the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division, and I was Associate Head of this Division from October 2011 until September 2016, in charge of academic matters. I am currently the Tutor for Admissions at Queen’s, please find all information about admissions on our main website under the menu item Admissions.

Teaching

At Queen’s I teach a range of topics to the undergraduate physics students, including electromagnetism and optics, thermal physics and condensed matter physics.

Research

I am interested in the optical properties of materials, and have been working in the areas of nanotechnology , nanophotonics and quantum computing for the past 10 years. Full details of my research can be found at my departmental web page.

Publications

Some of my recent publications include:

Contact

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High Street, Oxford,
OX1 4AW

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Tel: 01865 279120

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