We are pleased to receive enquiries at any time from suitably qualified and well motivated people who are interested in working in the Group. Specific vacancies will appear on this page as and when they arise.

PhD Projects

The School of Physics and Astronomy has an excellent track record of providing support for PhD students from Research Councils or through company sponsorship. There are two main ways of securing funding for a PhD. Firstly, the School has general sources of funding for which an application can be made, and secondly, specific PhD projects can be available with individual research groups, which have ear-marked funding. If you are a prospective postgraduate student, take a look at the School's web pages for relevant information http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/physics/Prosp_PG.shtml .

The Millimetre Wave and High-Field EPR Group is very well equipped for research. Some of the key research facilities we have include:-

• an extensive range of microwave and millimetre wave measurement equipment
  
• powerful computer modelling software
  
• close collaborative links with other research groups in photonics, materials and magnetism
  
• excellent support e.g. mechanical and electronic workshops, clean rooms, helium liquefier

In terms of what you can gain from pursuing postgraduate research with the Group, our PhD graduates are highly employable, developing flexible scientific and practical skills. The blend of applied physics and engineering we offer is beneficial for future employment in both the industrial and academic worlds. In general, there is a shortage of graduates with experience in microwave techniques, so this is a good time to study mm-wave physics. Additionally, with around 30 PhD students in the School, there is a vibrant community to provide support and stimulation.

General mm-Wave PhD projects

Please contact us if you are interested in pursuing postgraduate research in the following areas:-

• mm-Wave Radar :: design and development of mm-wave radar systems and components; characterisation of radar cross section / reflectivity of materials; investigation of FMCW radar modulation schemes; modelling of radar systems; signal processing and analysis of radar data; Doppler techniques.
  
• mm-Wave Imaging :: design and development of passive imaging systems; close-focussed imaging for medical and industrial applications; real-time imaging techniques; simulation and modelling.
  
• Instrumentation and Measurement :: design and development of instrumentation for high performance measurement; radiometry; reflectometry; spectroscopy; radar; mapping; characterisation of oscillator phase noise.
  
• Atmospheric Propagation at mm-wavelengths :: measurement of the atmospheric propagation at mm-wavelengths; characterisation of interferometric receivers; analysis of propagation data - clear air turbulence & preciptation.
  
• Ferrite material characterisation and device development :: characterisation of magneto-optical properties of ferrites, and dielectric index-matching materials; modelling of EM propagation in ferromagnetic materials; construction of Faraday rotator devices.

If you would like to know more about the kind of research we do in the Group, please explore our website fully, or contact us.

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Research

If you are interested in vacancies related to EPR, which is the other main strand of research in the Group, please look here. Note that there is a large overlap between the two strands.