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，又称CM-DTC，是EPSRC资助的博士生培训中心(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，也是这次CDT呼吁的优先领域之一。CM-DTC的续签资金将允许每年再招聘、培训和投放市场的五名博士生。他们将是受过高等教育的专业人员，具有该领域的知识，在深度和广度上，将为他们未来在各种学术和工业职业中的领导能力做好准备。凝聚态物理研究影响到许多其他科学领域，包括工程、生物物理、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。最近的例子包括在平板电视和3D电视等显示器上使用液晶，以及在节能高照度照明系统中使用固态或聚合物LED。未来的例子可能包括利用石墨烯(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，其特性可能使设计全新的(量子)计算机能够解决一些最困难的数学问题。英国继续提供这种性质的变革性技术的能力需要训练有素的CMP研究人员，如该中心将产生的那些人。拟议的培训方法建立在讲授课程的强大框架之上，具有核心组成部分和广泛的选修课选择。这跨越了头两年，所以博士研究从一开始就与课程一起开始。与之相辅相成的是计算机密集物理和仪器制造(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授课，但大多数是使用苏格兰大学物理联盟(SuPA)成熟的基础设施进行现场视频会议。学生们经常在团队建设活动中面对面，通常持续一天以上，这些活动强调科学、外展、可转移技能和职业培训方面的团队合作。国家对我们毕业生的需求体现在许多公司和组织选择作为工业伙伴正式加入我们的CDT。值得注意的是，这些联营公司涉及的行业范围很广。有些公司，如e2v和牛津仪器，是科学咨询公司和科学设备制造商，人们预计他们将成为我们的核心利益相关者之一。不那么明显的是，这份名单还代表了科学出版商、软件公司、能源行业的大大小小的公司、索尔维-罗地亚(Solvay-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。这显示了我们毕业生的一个关键吸引力：他们具有高水平的核心技能，以及解决问题的实践方法。这赋予了一种跨学科的能力，针对特定行业的更有针对性的培训可以补充，但不能取代。在快速变化的环境中，这种广度受到雇主的珍视，在这个环境中，一个明显无关的行业的意外创新有时会非常迅速地破坏多年的职业培训。随着英国通过在一系列优先领域资助新的CDT来建设其技术未来，至关重要的是纳入一些专注于核心学科技能的CDT，特别是凝聚态物理，而不是许多其他CDT所具有的跨学科或半职业培训。除了对今天的这些重要活动进行补充外，我们训练有素的博士毕业生将为未来的研究领域(也许还有一些工业部门)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.