Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Nanotechnology (Physics) at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MSc by Research Nanotechnology (Physics) enables students to pursue a one year individual programme of research. The Nanotechnology (Physics) programme would normally terminate after a year. However, under appropriate circumstances, this first year of research can also be used in a progression to Year 2 of a PhD degree.
For MSc by Research in Nanotechnology (Physics) programme you will be guided by internationally leading researchers through an extended one-year individual research project. There is no taught element. The Nanotechnology (Physics) programme has a recommended initial research training module (Science Skills & Research Methods), but otherwise has no taught element and is most suitable for you if you have an existing background in geography or cognate discipline and are looking to pursue a wholly research-based programme of study.
As a student of the MSc by Research in Nanotechnology (Physics) you will be fully integrated into one of our established research groups and participate in research activities such as seminars, workshops, laboratories, and field work.
Swansea is a research led University to which the Physics department makes a significant contribution, meaning that as a postgraduate Physics student you will benefit from the knowledge and skills of internationally renowned academics.
The Department received top ratings of 4* and 3* in the 2008 RAE, which classified our research as World-leading or Internationally excellent in terms of its originality, significance and rigour.
Our two research groups, Particle Physics Theory (PPT) and Atomic, Molecular and Quantum Physics (AMQP), deliver impact with commercial benefits both nationally and internationally, complemented by a public engagement programme with a global reach.
Economic impacts are realised by the Department’s Analytical Laser Spectroscopy Unit (ALSU) which, since 1993, has worked with companies developing products eventually sold to customers in the nuclear power industry and military, both in the UK and overseas, and in the global aerospace industry. Computational particle physics work performed by the PPT group has spun-off a computer benchmarking tool, BSMBench, used by several leading software outfits, and has led to the establishment of a start-up company.
The AMQP group’s work on trapping and investigating antihydrogen has generated great media interest and building on this we have developed a significant and on-going programme of public engagement. Activities include the development of a bespoke software simulator (Hands on Antihydrogen) of the antimatter experiment for school students.
As a student of the MSc by Research in Nanotechnology (Physics) in the Department of Physics you will have access to the following Specialist Facilities:
Low-energy positron beam with a high field superconducting magnet for the study of
positronium
CW and pulsed laser systems
Scanning tunnelling electron and nearfield optical microscopes
Raman microscope
CPU parallel cluster
Access to the IBM-built ‘Blue C’ Super computer at Swansea University and is part of the shared use of the teraflop QCDOC facility based in Edinburgh
The Physics Department carries out world-leading research in experimental and theoretical physics.
The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 show that over 80% of the research outputs from both the experimental and theoretical groups were judged to be world-leading or internationally excellent.
This MSc by Research in Nanotechnology comes under the Nano-physics and the life sciences research area at Swansea. The fundamental understanding of the electronic, structural, chemical and optical properties of materials on the nano-scale is essential for advances in nanotechnology, in particular the development of new devices via the incorporation of novel materials. Advances in experimental physics underpin these developments via characterisation and quantification of quantum phenomena which dominate at these length scales.
The Nanotechnology research concentrates on two main areas: determining properties of materials (e.g., graphene) on the nano-scale using scanning probe based techniques; the development of imaging and laser based spectroscopic techniques to study biological samples (e.g., imaging of cellular components and bacteria).
The programme's broad theme is the practical implementation of nanoscience and quantum engineering, nanomaterials and nanotechnology.
The programme covers the fundamentals behind nanotechnology and moves on to discuss its implementation using nanomaterials – such as graphene – and the use of advanced tools of nanotechnology which allow us to see at the nanoscale, before discussing future trends and applications for energy generation and storage.
You will gain specialised, practical skills through an individual research project within our research groups, using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. Completion of the programme will provide you with the skills essential to furthering your career in this rapidly emerging field.
The delivery of media content relies on many layers of sophisticated signal engineering that can process images, video, speech and audio – and signal processing is at the heart of all multimedia systems.
Our Mobile Media Communications programme explains the algorithms and intricacies surrounding transmission and delivery of audio and video content. Particular emphasis is given to networking and data compression, in addition to the foundations of pattern recognition.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time students must study at least two taught technical modules per academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and an extended project.
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
We are one of the leading institutions developing nanotechnology and the next generation of materials and nanoelectronic devices.
Taught by internationally-recognised experts within the University’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI), on this programme you will discover the practical implementation of nanoscience and quantum engineering, nanomaterials and nanotechnology.
You will gain specialised skills through an individual research project within our research groups, using state-of- the-art equipment and facilities.
The ATI is a £10 million investment in advanced research and is the flagship institute of the University of Surrey in the area of nanotechnology and nanomaterials. The ATI brings together under one roof the major research activities of the University from the Department of Electronic Engineering and the Department of Physics in the area of nanotechnology and electronic devices.
The Programme in Nanotechnology and Nanoelectronic Devicesaims to provide a high-quality qualification in the most important aspects of the nanotechnologies, with a particular emphasis on nanoelectronics and nanoelectronic devices.
After an introduction to the basic aspects of quantum physics and nano-engineering relevant to modern nanoelectronics, students can tailor their specific learning experience through study of device-oriented elective modules, as suits their career aspirations.
Key to the Programme is the cross-linking of current research themes in interdisciplinary areas such as photonics and biology, through the use of nanoelectronic devices as the interface at the nanoscale level.
The Programme has strong links to current research in the University's Advanced Technology Institute; this Institute includes academic staff from both the EE and the Physics Departments.
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
