Personal Biography

I started as a stipendiary lecturer at Corpus in 2021 after having previously tutored at Corpus during my DPhil. I have been in Oxford for over a decade having arrived as an undergraduate at Somerville to read Physics in 2011. Following my MPhys I was awarded a place at UCL’s Centre for Doctoral Training in Quantum Technologies. This allowed me to complete a Masters of Research in Quantum Technologies and funded my doctoral studies here in Oxford. My DPhil research was in atomic and laser physics and focused on Quantum Memories – an exciting technology with applications spanning quantum information and quantum communication. My research concentrated on how to successfully store and retrieve a single-photon such that it may be used for quantum information applications. Outside of Physics I am a keen musician and rugby player, and for many years played on the Somerville-Corpus joint rugby team.

Research and Teaching

My research is focused on atom-light interactions, exploiting quantum mechanics in various ways. My DPhil research centred in Quantum Memories; a device used in Quantum Information Processing to store and retrieve single photons. This is achieved by mediating the storage interaction with strong laser pulses, and storing in an atomic (or atom-like) system. My current research remains within the realm of quantum technologies, on the exciting AION project. The Atom Interferometry Observatory and Network (AION) project uses laser cooled, ultracold atoms to perform interferometry as a means to both detect gravitational waves and investigate ultra-light dark matter candidates.

I aptly teach the Atomic and Laser course in the third year as well as third year condensed matter and second year mathematical methods. Passionate about physics, education and outreach I have worked as a tutor for a number of the other Oxford colleges, been heavily involved in undergraduate admissions, and have a post as an academic at a local secondary school. I have delivered numerous outreach talks on physics as an EPSRC’s Quantum Ambassador, as well as talks to school students encouraging university applications.

Publications

Main, D., T. M. Hird, S. Gao, I. A. Walmsley, and P. M. Ledingham (2021) "Room temperature atomic frequency comb storage for light". Optics Letters 46, 2960-2963

Main, D., T. M. Hird, S. Gao, E. Oguz, D. J. Saunders, I. A. Walmsley, and P. M. Ledingham. (2021)"Preparing Narrow Velocity Distributions for Quantum Memories in Room-Temperature Alkali Vapours". Physical Review A, 103(4), 043105.

Thomas, S. E., Hird, T. M., Munns, J. H., Brecht, B., Saunders, D. J., Nunn, J., Walmsley, I. A. & Ledingham, P. M. (2019). “Raman quantum memory with built-in suppression of four-wave-mixing noise”. Physical Review A, 100(3), 033801