£500k research boost for boffin
A Blantyre physics researcher has received a research fellowship worth £500,000 to develop quantum navigation.
Dr James Mcgilligan, based at the University of Strathclyde, was given the honour by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAENG) to mark the programme’s 20th anniversary.
His project will investigate microfabricating chip-scale atomic platforms for quantum navigators. These have potential applications in areas such as navigation, land surveyance and critical life systems.
It will also explore the development of highly accurate atomic clocks.
And the research, taking place over five years, will allow technology to be so advanced it will have an industrial and social impact, says the Blantyre scientist.
Dr Mcgilligan will initially be able to recruit two PHD students to work on his project.
He said: “The research environment we have at Strathclyde, and the Glasgow City Innovation District, will enable our work to have an industrial and social impact.
“Our industrial partners will want technology that is innovative, simple, small and robust; this is where microfabrication comes in.
“They can be put on satellites, in computers or in cars; the positions they identify you as being in can be the difference between being on the right side of the road and the wrong side.
“Accurate timing is also important in the financial sector, as well as in land surveying and civil engineering. If, for example, a bridge is sagging, an accurate device at small scale can be placed on a bridge and pick up how much sagging is taking place before it’s too late.
“A device that’s sensitive to gravity could also monitor volcanoes and be able to make early detection of the flow of lava underground.”
Research fellowships are the academy’s flagship scheme, supporting outstanding early-career researchers to become future research leaders in engineering.
The fellowships are designed to advance excellence in engineering by providing funding for five years to allow awardees the freedom to concentrate on basic research in any field of engineering.
Professor Philip Nelson, chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowships Steering Group, said: “The academy owes a huge debt of gratitude to the many fellows who provide a considerable amount of time and in-kind help with the selection, mentoring and networking of awardees.
“By providing long-term support in this way, they are helping the next generation of leaders establish their independence and global reputation and contribute towards building a sustainable society and inclusive economy that works for everyone.”
A quantum technology cluster is embedded in the Glasgow City Innovation District, an initiative driven by Strathclyde along with Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise, Entrepreneurial Scotland and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce.