Introduction

Oxford Physics undertakes a wide range of work on plasma accelerators within the research groups of Profs. Richard D'Arcy and Simon Hooker.

Our groups work in Oxford's sub-departments of Atomic and Laser Physics and Particle Physics, and are members of the John Adams Institute (JAI).  We collaborate closely with research groups based at universities and national laboratories in Europe and the USA.

PhD Opportunities

Information about the available PhD projects in each of these research groups is available on the JAI webpage.

How to apply

Since our groups are based in the sub-departments of Particle Physics and Atomic & Laser Physics, it is advisable to apply to BOTH of these sub-departments. Further information about how to apply to undertake graduate research in these sub-departments is available at:

When to apply

Definitive information on the current status of applications for these programmes can be found on the University's web pages for DPhil research in Atomic & Laser Physics and Particle Physics. However, the following general points are worth noting:

  • Thursday 8th January 2026, noon (UK time): Latest deadline for all applications and most Oxford scholarships
  • Tuesday 3rd March 2026: Admissions may remain open after this deadline if places are still available and the quality of the applications are of an exceptional standard

Funding

Our projects are funded by a wide range of sources. We aim for all our graduate students to be fully funded (i.e. fees and living expenses), although this is not always possible.  In addition, candidates for our projects may be proposed for one of the University's graduate scholarships, details of which are available on the University's graduate admissions pages.