Centre for Doctoral Studies
Centre for Doctoral Studies
We have a wide range of research opportunities in the Department of Physics, and so we recommend that you explore and identify research topics and academic staff in your area of interest.
You can explore research projects and potential supervisors on the Group Pages.
Applications are invited for research in the following areas:
Approximately 27
Our research groups enjoy strong collaborations with institutions around the world including Athens, Cambridge, CERN, Geneva, Imperial College, Jena, McGill, Nottingham, Oxford, Paris 6, Shanghai, Texas Tech, Trieste, Valencia, UCL and ETH Zurich.
There are also an exciting opportunity to gain a joint PhD with Hong Kong University.
Current number of academic staff: 44
Current number of postdoctoral research staff: 39
Current number of research students: over 100 PhD.
Head of Department - Professor Ruth Gregory
Biological Physics & Soft Matter - Professor Sergi Garcia-Manyes
Experimental Particle & Astroparticle Physics - Professor Francesca Di Lodovico
Photonics & Nanotechnology - Professor Anatoly Zayats
Theory & Simulation of Condensed Matter - Dr Joe Bhaseen
Theoretical Particle Physics & Cosmology - Professor Malcolm Fairbairn
UK Tuition Fees 2023/24
Full time tuition fees:
£6,540 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research)
£6,540 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research with University of Hong Kong)
Part time tuition fees: £3,270 per year
International Tuition Fees 2023/24
Full time tuition fees:
£28 260 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research)
£28,260 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research with the University of Hong Kong)
Part time tuition fees: £14,130 per year
UK Tuition Fees 2024/25
Full time tuition fees:
£6,936 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research)
£6,936 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research with University of Hong Kong)
Part time tuition fees: £3,468 per year
International Tuition Fees 2024/25
Full time tuition fees:
£30,240 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research)
£30,240 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research with the University of Hong Kong)
Part time tuition fees: £15,120 per year
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King's terms and conditions.
Each of our research students is associated with a research group and supervised by a member of staff from this group. As part of this supervision you will take part in a monitoring exercise every six months. Your supervisor will help you learn the techniques you may need and advise on training/courses to attend.
We have excellent student facilities, including personal computers and office space for each of our graduate students. There is very extensive online access to journals and an excellent study environment in the College Library. Networking with other graduate students in the College is encouraged through the activities of the Graduate School.
All research students attend the School and College-based training in transferable skills. Training needs in specialised research techniques are assessed on an individual basis.
The Department has a distinguished history, with the study of Physics at King's College dating back to its foundation in 1829. The first Professor was Sir Charles Wheatstone, with other former professors including James Clerk Maxwell, who discovered the unified equations of electromagnetism while at King's, and four Nobel laureates. The seminal x-ray crystallography work by Wilkins and Franklin which led to the discovery of the structure of DNA, was performed in the Physics Department. The department today has a reputation as a friendly and supportive environment, with research in the department encompassing biophysics, materials science, nanotechnology, and theoretical particle physics and cosmology.
The Department has recently appointed international research leaders to head its three research groups: Professor John Ellis FRS, who has joined King's from CERN to lead the Theoretical Particle Physics & Cosmology Group; Professor Mark van Schilfgaarde, an expert in electronic structure theory, who heads the Materials & Molecular Modelling Group; and Professor Anatoly Zayats, a world-leader in the new field of plasmonics, who leads the Experimental Biophysics & Nanotechnology Group.
Activities in biophysics enjoy strong links with the Randall Division for Cell and Molecular Biophysics in the School of Biomedical Sciences, and the molecular and materials modelling group is part of the London-based Thomas Young Centre for Theory and Simulations of Materials. Research in theoretical physics and cosmology has a particular focus on the interdisciplinary area of astro-particle physics and on LHC phenomenology, with strong links to CERN through an ERC Advanced Investigator Grant held by Prof Ellis.
The Physics Education Research (PER) group at King's College London was formed in 2021. Our group conducts evidence-based research on the delivery and learning of physics, including the student experience.
The Biological Physics and Soft Matter group aims to use bespoke technology and analytical methods borrowed from the Physical Sciences to address important fundamental questions in Biology.
The research in the group involves the development and applications of advanced photonic technologies and of novel nanomaterials to address modern challenges in photonic and quantum technologies, new nanostructured materials, sensing, imaging and clean energy.
The research focus of the TPPC Group is on tests of new models of particle physics beyond the Standard Model, including supersymmetry, large extra dimensions and strings.
The aim of the EPAP group is to address some of the major open questions in our understanding of matter through the study of the nature of fundamental particles
Research is focused on the theory of condensed matter, and in particular the development and application of advanced theoretical and modelling techniques suitable for the study of complex materials and molecular systems and processes.
UK Tuition Fees 2023/24
Full time tuition fees:
£6,540 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research)
£6,540 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research with University of Hong Kong)
Part time tuition fees: £3,270 per year
International Tuition Fees 2023/24
Full time tuition fees:
£28 260 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research)
£28,260 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research with the University of Hong Kong)
Part time tuition fees: £14,130 per year
UK Tuition Fees 2024/25
Full time tuition fees:
£6,936 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research)
£6,936 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research with University of Hong Kong)
Part time tuition fees: £3,468 per year
International Tuition Fees 2024/25
Full time tuition fees:
£30,240 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research)
£30,240 per year (MPhil/PhD, Physics Research with the University of Hong Kong)
Part time tuition fees: £15,120 per year
These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King's terms and conditions.
Each of our research students is associated with a research group and supervised by a member of staff from this group. As part of this supervision you will take part in a monitoring exercise every six months. Your supervisor will help you learn the techniques you may need and advise on training/courses to attend.
We have excellent student facilities, including personal computers and office space for each of our graduate students. There is very extensive online access to journals and an excellent study environment in the College Library. Networking with other graduate students in the College is encouraged through the activities of the Graduate School.
All research students attend the School and College-based training in transferable skills. Training needs in specialised research techniques are assessed on an individual basis.
The Department has a distinguished history, with the study of Physics at King's College dating back to its foundation in 1829. The first Professor was Sir Charles Wheatstone, with other former professors including James Clerk Maxwell, who discovered the unified equations of electromagnetism while at King's, and four Nobel laureates. The seminal x-ray crystallography work by Wilkins and Franklin which led to the discovery of the structure of DNA, was performed in the Physics Department. The department today has a reputation as a friendly and supportive environment, with research in the department encompassing biophysics, materials science, nanotechnology, and theoretical particle physics and cosmology.
The Department has recently appointed international research leaders to head its three research groups: Professor John Ellis FRS, who has joined King's from CERN to lead the Theoretical Particle Physics & Cosmology Group; Professor Mark van Schilfgaarde, an expert in electronic structure theory, who heads the Materials & Molecular Modelling Group; and Professor Anatoly Zayats, a world-leader in the new field of plasmonics, who leads the Experimental Biophysics & Nanotechnology Group.
Activities in biophysics enjoy strong links with the Randall Division for Cell and Molecular Biophysics in the School of Biomedical Sciences, and the molecular and materials modelling group is part of the London-based Thomas Young Centre for Theory and Simulations of Materials. Research in theoretical physics and cosmology has a particular focus on the interdisciplinary area of astro-particle physics and on LHC phenomenology, with strong links to CERN through an ERC Advanced Investigator Grant held by Prof Ellis.
The Physics Education Research (PER) group at King's College London was formed in 2021. Our group conducts evidence-based research on the delivery and learning of physics, including the student experience.
The Biological Physics and Soft Matter group aims to use bespoke technology and analytical methods borrowed from the Physical Sciences to address important fundamental questions in Biology.
The research in the group involves the development and applications of advanced photonic technologies and of novel nanomaterials to address modern challenges in photonic and quantum technologies, new nanostructured materials, sensing, imaging and clean energy.
The research focus of the TPPC Group is on tests of new models of particle physics beyond the Standard Model, including supersymmetry, large extra dimensions and strings.
The aim of the EPAP group is to address some of the major open questions in our understanding of matter through the study of the nature of fundamental particles
Research is focused on the theory of condensed matter, and in particular the development and application of advanced theoretical and modelling techniques suitable for the study of complex materials and molecular systems and processes.
Centre for Doctoral Studies
A supportive and engaging environment for PhD students
The Centre for Doctoral Studies helps secure funding for students...
The NMES Graduate School Virtual Open Events for prospective postgraduate...
The NMES Graduate School Virtual Open Events for prospective postgraduate...