PhD students
Prospective PhD students
All applications for PhD study at the University of Sheffield must be made online. Please do not send applications directly to me.
To work under my supervision, I usually expect PhD students to have (or expect to obtain) the equivalent of a UK first class undergraduate degree at either BSc or MMath/MPhys level. If you have a BSc undergraduate degree, then usually a Master's level qualification in either Theoretical Physics or Mathematics is also required. A strong background in general relativity and quantum theory is necessary; knowledge of quantum field theory in flat space-time is an advantage. Experience with algebraic and numerical computing (whether using Mathematica, Maple, Matlab or a programming language) is also an advantage.
Possible PhD projects
My current research lies in Quantum Field Theory in Curved Space-time. I am interested in three aspects of this: (a) canonical quantization and defining quantum states, (b) computing renormalized expectation values of field operators and (c) using these expectation values to study the backreaction effect of the quantum field on the space-time. The projects below cover all three aspects.
Charged fermions on charged black holes - the goal of this project would be to construct a Hartle-Hawking-like state for a charged fermion field on a charged black hole space-time and study its properties. The interaction of the quantum field with both the background geometry and electromagnetic field will be of central importance. Charged fermions do not undergo classical superradiance, but the quantum analogue of superradiance is still present.
Doubly-rotating black holes - Defining quantum states on rotating black holes is challenging due to superradiance. The reduced symmetry also makes computing expectation values technically challenging. If we work in five-dimensional space-time, then doubly-rotating black holes have an enhanced symmetry which may aid the practical computation of expectation values. The aim of the project would be to develop a practical methodology for such computations.
Three-dimensional black holes - Quantum field theory on three-dimensional black holes is simpler than in four (or more) dimensions. This project would explore bosonic and fermionic quantum fields on a rotating three-dimensional BTZ black hole. A key aspect will be examining the effect of the boundary conditions on the quantum field and its backreaction on the black hole geometry.
Current PhD students
Jacob Thompson (started October 2022)
Alessandro Monteverdi (started October 2021)
George Montagnon (part-time, started October 2020)
Visiting PhD students
Alvaro Alvarez Dominguez (Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain) - 2024
Silvia Pla Garcia (Universidad de Valencia, Spain) - 2021