EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Condensed Matter Physics: Renewal of the CM-DTC

苏格兰凝聚态物理博士培训中心，被称为CM-DTC，是epsrc资助的博士培训中心（CDT），致力于凝聚态物理（CMP）的广泛领域。CMP是支撑许多其他科学领域的核心学科，也是本次CDT呼吁的优先领域之一。CM-DTC的续期资金将允许每年再招收5批博士研究生，培训并投放市场。他们将是受过高等教育的专业人士，对该领域的知识有深入和广泛的了解，这将使他们在未来的各种学术和工业生涯中成为领导者。凝聚态物理的研究影响着许多其他科学领域，包括工程学、生物物理学、光子学、化学和材料科学。它是创新和推动新技术的重要引擎。最近的例子包括液晶显示器的使用，包括平板电视和3D电视，以及使用固态或聚合物led节能高照度照明系统。未来的例子可能涉及利用石墨烯（世界上最薄、最坚固的片状材料）的潜力，或者创造奇异的低温材料，其特性可能使设计出全新类型的（量子）计算机成为可能，用它来解决一些最难的数学问题。英国持续提供这种变革性技术的能力需要训练有素的CMP研究人员，例如该中心将培养的人员。拟议的培训方法建立在一个强大的讲授讲座课程框架上，包括核心组成部分和广泛的选修课程。这跨越了头两年，以便博士研究从一开始就与课程一起开始。辅以计算机密集型物理和仪器制造（包括车间技能和3D打印）等领域的实践培训。一些讲座课程在寄宿学校进行，但大多数是视频会议现场，使用SUPA（苏格兰大学物理联盟）完善的基础设施。学生们经常在团队建设活动中面对面交流，通常超过一天，这些活动强调在科学、拓展、可转移技能和职业培训方面的团队合作。国家对我们的毕业生的需求是由大量的公司和组织谁已经选择正式隶属于我们的CDT工业协会证明。这些联营公司跨越的行业范围值得注意。e2v和牛津仪器（Oxford Instruments）等公司是科学咨询公司和科学设备制造商，人们会认为它们属于我们的核心利益相关者。不那么明显的是，这份名单还包括科学出版商、软件公司、能源行业大大小小的公司、索尔维-罗迪亚（solvaya - rhodia）和西门子（Siemens）等大型跨国公司，以及金融和专利律师事务所。这表明了我们毕业生的一个关键吸引力：他们的高水平核心技能，以及解决问题的动手方法。这赋予了一种学科跳跃能力，而针对特定部门的更集中的培训可以补充这种能力，但不能取代这种能力。在一个瞬息万变的环境中，这种广度受到雇主的重视，在这个环境中，多年的职业培训有时会被一个显然不相关的行业的意外创新迅速破坏。随着英国通过资助一系列优先领域的新CDTs来构建其技术未来，至关重要的是要包括一些专注于核心学科技能的项目，特别是凝聚态物理，而不是许多其他CDTs所具有的跨学科或半职业培训。除了补充这些重要的活动，我们训练有素的博士毕业生将为明天的研究领域（也许是一些工业部门）奠定基础。

The Scottish Doctoral Training Centre in Condensed Matter Physics, known as the CM-DTC, is an EPSRC-funded Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) addressing the broad field of Condensed Matter Physics (CMP). CMP is a core discipline that underpins many other areas of science, and is one of the Priority Areas for this CDT call. Renewal funding for the CM-DTC will allow five more annual cohorts of PhD students to be recruited, trained and released onto the market. They will be highly educated professionals with a knowledge of the field, in depth and in breadth, that will equip them for future leadership in a variety of academic and industrial careers.Condensed Matter Physics research impacts on many other fields of science including engineering, biophysics, photonics, chemistry, and materials science. It is a significant engine for innovation and drives new technologies. Recent examples include the use of liquid crystals for displays including flat-screen and 3D television, and the use of solid-state or polymeric LEDs for power-saving high-illumination lighting systems. Future examples may involve harnessing the potential of graphene (the world's thinnest and strongest sheet-like material), or the creation of exotic low-temperature materials whose properties may enable the design of radically new types of (quantum) computer with which to solve some of the hardest problems of mathematics. The UK's continued ability to deliver transformative technologies of this character requires highly trained CMP researchers such as those the Centre will produce.The proposed training approach is built on a strong framework of taught lecture courses, with core components and a wide choice of electives. This spans the first two years so that PhD research begins alongside the coursework from the outset. It is complemented by hands-on training in areas such as computer-intensive physics and instrument building (including workshop skills and 3D printing). Some lecture courses are delivered in residential schools but most are videoconferenced live, using the well-established infrastructure of SUPA (the Scottish Universities Physics Alliance). Students meet face to face frequently, often for more than one day, at cohort-building events that emphasise teamwork in science, outreach, transferable skills and careers training. National demand for our graduates is demonstrated by the large number of companies and organisations who have chosen to be formally affiliated with our CDT as Industrial Associates. The range of sectors spanned by these Associates is notable. Some, such as e2v and Oxford Instruments, are scientific consultancies and manufacturers of scientific equipment, whom one would expect to be among our core stakeholders. Less obviously, the list also represents scientific publishers, software houses, companies small and large from the energy sector, large multinationals such as Solvay-Rhodia and Siemens, and finance and patent law firms. This demonstrates a key attraction of our graduates: their high levels of core skills, and a hands-on approach to problem solving. These impart a discipline-hopping ability which more focussed training for specific sectors can complement, but not replace. This breadth is prized by employers in a fast-changing environment where years of vocational training can sometimes be undermined very rapidly by unexpected innovation in an apparently unrelated sector. As the UK builds its technological future by funding new CDTs across a range of priority areas, it is vital to include some that focus on core discipline skills, specifically Condensed Matter Physics, rather than the interdisciplinary or semi-vocational training that features in many other CDTs. As well as complementing those important activities today, our highly trained PhD graduates will be equipped to lay the foundations for the research fields (and perhaps some of the industrial sectors) of tomorrow.