Quantum entanglement (or "spooky action at a distance" as Einstein called it) is one of the most spectacular features of quantum mechanics. It has been studied in many contexts but it has never been studied at the energy scales available at the LHC nor has it been observed in fundamental fermions not bound in atomic states. In this PhD project, we will be measuring, for the first time, quantum entanglement in the qubit systems that exist in top-quark pair events and the qutrit systems that exist in Higgs boson decays using ATLAS Run2 and Run3 data. This project is at the forefront of LHC physics and is a unique and unexplored bridge between the fields of particle physics and quantum information. It would ideally suit students wishing to push the boundaries and develop connections between these two fields.

Funding for this PhD position is jointly provided by the Royal Society and The Univerisity of Glasgow which includes all tuition fees and an annual bursary for 3.5 years. A fully funded period of up to 12 months stay at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, Geneva, is also possible.

Interested applicants should apply via the University of Glasgow application portal: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/physics/research/groups/particlephysicsexperiment/pg/phdapplications/

For further information, please contact Dr James Howarth: james.howarth@glasgow.ac.uk