Graduate research projects

We typically host around 6-8 PhD students in the group at any one time, for a total head-count of around 12 in the PCS group.

If you are interested in 2026 entry PhD studentships in the research group, please contact David Williamson or James Perry. We will be able to update in due course as funding for specific projects is confirmed. We will also advertise funded positions as they arise via the University's jobs page: Studentships | University of Cambridge

Funding is usually provided by group research projects or research council scholarships, although other scholarship opportunities also exist (Gates, Churchill, Oppenheimer, etc.). Speculative applicants, and those who bring their own funding, should also first make an application via the departmental portal: PhD in Physics | Postgraduate Study.

Some examples of possible PhD projects (which do not currently have specific funding sources attached) are given below

Ultra-fast temperature sensors for shock (David Williamson)

Accurate temperature measurement during high speed events remains a consistent problem in shock-physics. Existing transducers are rate limited by their thermal mass, whereas standard optical techniques can only be applied under limited conditions (usually very high temperatures). In this project, we will focus on developing new techniques for ultra-fast temperature measurement. These will include modelling, fabrication and testing of nanometre-scale thermistor based instrumentation and fast response infra-red pyrometry. The techniques will be applied to study shock temperatures in polymeric and liquid systems, which are of increasing industrial importance.

Adhesion and damage in composites (David Williamson)

Composite materials are of great importance in the everyday world.  Their fundamentally inhomogeneous nature means composites can exhibit complex forms of behaviour, relating to characteristics of the binder, filler and the nature of the interaction between them.  This project will focus on predicting the behaviour of composites using physically based models, supplemented by experimental data.  Low temperature thermo-physical measurements enable key model parameters to be populated.  Predictions may then be validated using other, mechanically based, measurements.  It will suit a keen experimentalist, and will likely involve extensive collaboration with other researchers.

Dynamic properties of fibre composites (James Perry)

High-performance applications often push materials towards their extremes, and so it is critically important that we can understand when, how and why materials fail. In the PCS group we are particularly interested in the rate-dependence of material properties. Even when the quasi-static properties of composites are now quite well understood, understanding of their high-rate dynamic response remains much more limited. Currently, this leads to the need for extensive, expensive, large-scale testing of composite components. If we are to use composites more widely and more cost-effectively, we first need to be able to better predict their behaviour and so reduce the need for physical testing. All of this starts with small-scale lab experiments, to start to unpick the underlying physics both quantitatively and phenomenologically...

Granular materials under high rates of compaction (James Perry)

The processes by which brittle granular materials compact largely depend on their microstructure and the properties and interactions of the grains themselves. Predicting the dynamic response of these systems requires knowledge of how grain-scale phenomena manifest as macroscopic response. Such insight is crucial for a wide range of high rate applications including planetary formation and impact cratering, the response to blast and penetration, and predicting and improving soil response to earthquakes and landslips through seismic coupling.  This project will follow on from a successful project studying the shock compaction of cohesionless sands at different moisture levels; it will extend the research programme to silts (smaller grain sizes), cohesive materials such as clays, and will begin to study how granular compaction can be controlled using suitable ‘modifiers’.

Your idea here (David Williamson / James Perry)

We are always open to ideas with regards to potential PhD projects within the group's field of research, including joint and interdisciplinary projects run between several research groups. See our research and facilities pages if you need some inspiration.