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Dr Thomas Spieksma

Dr Spieksma awarded IDA thesis prize

Dr Thomas Spieksma has been awarded the Instrument Centre for Danish Astrophysics (IDA) PhD Prize; the prize is awarded annually to the most scientifically outstanding PhD thesis defended at a Danish university within astronomy and astrophysics.

From left to right: James Dodd, Professor John Wheater and Jack Paton

Obituary: James Dodd

James E Dodd 1952-2026

Globular cluster M80

Gravitational waves reveal secrets of biggest black holes

The most massive black holes in the Universe detected by the ripples they make in space time were not born directly from collapsing stars, according to a new study.

Electrons where atoms are not: a layered view of NbSe2 showing the crystal lattice (top), the symmetry-pinned orbital cloud at empty sites (middle), and the STM image (bottom) that directly reveals this hidden electronic structure.

Electrons where atoms are not

An international team led by Oxford physicist Dr Dumitru Călugăru has directly identified an 'obstructed atomic band' in a two-dimensional quantum material for the first time, opening new possibilities for understanding and designing quantum materials.

Dr Pablo Bilbao

EPS recognition for Dr Bilbao

Dr Pablo Bilbao has been awarded the European Physical Society Plasma Physics Division’s PhD Research Award.

Sir Anthony Leggett

Commentary: Professor Blundell on Anthony Leggett (1938-2026)

Professor Stephen Blundell reflects on the life and legacy of Nobel prize winner Sir Anthony Leggett who died on 8 March 2026.

Gravitationally lensed starlight (orange) by a supermassive black hole bianry. The Einstein ring is shown in blue.

New method could reveal hidden supermassive black hole binaries

Researchers at Oxford University and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics are proposing a new way to observe tightly bound supermassive black hole binaries.

12 February 2026

Associate Professor Alexander Mietke

Dr Mietke recognised by IUPAP

Associate Professor Alexander Mietke has been awarded the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics’ Early Career Scientist Prize in Biological Physics 2024 for his groundbreaking insights that harness active matter theory.

The fireball experiment installed in the HiRadMat irradiation area.

Scientists recreate cosmic “fireballs” to probe mystery of missing gamma rays

An international team of scientists, led by the University of Oxford, has achieved a world-first by creating plasma 'fireballs' using the Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator at CERN, Geneva, to study the stability of plasma jets emanating from blazars.

7 November 2025

Professor Ard Louis

Professor Louis awarded IOP Sam Edwards Medal

Professor Ard Louis has been awarded the Institute of Physics Sam Edwards Medal and Prize for pioneering the development of novel mathematical and numerical models that have contributed to our understanding of soft matter and biological physics.

13 October 2025

Professor Julia Yeomans

Professor Yeomans awarded IOP Paul Dirac Medal

Professor Julia Yeomans OBE FRS from the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford has been awarded the 2025 Institute of Physics Paul Dirac Medal and Prize.

13 October 2025

In some M-point moiré materials, electrons lock into crisscrossing patterns — a sign of one-dimensional behaviour. In certain cases, they can also freeze into orthonormal valence bond dimers, revealing a deeper layer of quantum order.

A new class of moiré materials unlocks uncharted quantum behaviour

An international team has introduced a novel class of twistable quantum materials, opening up a broader landscape for quantum simulation and discovery.