Annual Sam Edwards PhD Thesis Prize: Theory of Condensed Matter Group

Nominations are now open for the annual Sam Edwards Thesis Prize. The prize is awarded to the author of the PhD thesis that, in the opinion of the group committee, contributes most strongly to the advancement of theoretical condensed matter physics (broadly interpreted).

The prize is for £200, and the prize winner will be invited to give a short talk at the Theory of Condensed Matter Group Theory Day. A runner-up prize of £50 may also be awarded.

Deadline and eligibility

The next application deadline is 1 May 2024.

Applications for the prize are encouraged across the entire spectrum of theoretical condensed matter physics.

Entry is open to all students:

• from an institution in the UK or Ireland
• whose PhD examination has taken place between 1 January 2023 and up to the deadline for submissions

Submissions

Submissions should include:

• a four-page (A4) summary by you on the key research findings in the thesis
• a one-page (A4) citation from your PhD supervisor telling us:
  • that you passed
  • the confirmation date of the PhD exam
  • if the thesis has also been submitted to another IOP group for a PhD thesis prize
• a one-page (A4) confidential report from the external examiner of the PhD thesis

Submission documents should preferably be PDFs.

When a similar thesis prize is offered by another IOP group, for example, the Computational Physics Group, we liaise across groups so that our prizes are not awarded to the same applicant.

We announce the prize at our annual Theory Day.

Email group chair Dr Ryan Barnett ([email protected]) for details and deadlines, with the subject header ‘IOP TCM Thesis Prize’.

Winners

2023

• Winner: Clara Wanjura, University of Cambridge. For Non-Hermitian Topology and Directional Amplification in Driven-Dissipative Cavity Arrays
• Runner-up: Yves H Kwan, University of Oxford. For Topology and Correlations in Twisted Bilayer Graphene

2022

• Winner: Daniel Bennett, University of Cambridge. For Competing polar and nonpolar distortions and phase transitions in low-dimensional materials 

2021

• Winner: Max McGinley, University of Cambridge. For Dynamical Aspects of Topological Quantum Systems
• Joint runner-up: Mohammed Azzouzi, Imperial College London. For Voltage Losses and Recombination Mechanisms in Organic Solar Cells
• Joint runner-up: Kristian Thijssen, University of Oxford. For Control of Active Nematics

2019

• Winner: Manuel Offidani, University of York. For Coupled Charge-Spin Transport and Spin–Orbit Phenomena in 2D Dirac Materials (PDF, 15.4MB)
• Runner-up: Eduardo Mendive-Tapia, University of Warwick. For Ab-initio Theory of Magnetic Ordering: Electronic Origin of Pair- and Multi- Spin Interactions

2018

• Winner: Joseph CA Prentice, University of Cambridge. For Investigating Anharmonic Effects in Condensed Matter Systems

2017

• Winner: Arnold Mathijssen, University of Oxford. For Hydrodynamics of Micro-Swimmers in Complex Fluids and Environments
• Joint runner-up: Flaviu Cipcigan, University of Edinburgh. For An Electronically Coarse Grained Molecular Model of Water
• Joint runner-up: Sarah Morgan, University of Cambridge. For Ultrafast Quantum Effects and Vibrational Dynamics in Organic and Biological Systems