Today we’re fortunate to be joined by Harry, a second year PhD student at the University of Bristol researching quantum engineering. Harry has been very generous in sharing his PhD insights, so I’m excited to share the following discussion with you all!
Harry kindly volunteered to help with a PhD Profile after one of my pleas for volunteers. If you’re reading this and would be willing to share your own PhD journey with the world, please do reach out to me. 🙂
You can find Harry on LinkedIn. Previous PhD Profiles are available here.
Please Introduce Yourself and Your PhD Topic
Hi everyone, I’m Harry, and I’m currently doing a PhD at the University of Bristol Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training (QE CDT).
I work as an experimental researcher in integrated quantum photonics, which involves taking bulky, table-top optics experiments and integrating them onto a single semiconductor chip.
Using these compact, chip-scale platforms allows us to work with individual photons to carry out complex quantum mechanics experiments and develop scalable quantum technologies in areas such as quantum computation, communication, and sensing.
PhD Applications
What was your background prior to applying for the PhD?
Prior to starting my PhD, I completed a 4 year MSci in physics at the University of Bristol.
During my undergraduate, I took a wide range of courses, as well as completing a summer research internship in the university’s biophysics group where I worked on looking at phase transitions in acoustically levitated protein droplets.
My final year research project was focussed on developing techniques to characterise the behaviour of superparamagnetic nanoparticles in ice water samples.
It wasn’t until my final year that my interests pivoted towards quantum information science, particularly after taking units in quantum information theory & quantum computing.
Although I enjoyed aspects of my previous research, I realised that working in a wet lab wasn’t for me and I became drawn to quantum science and technologies. I’m glad I took the time during my undergrad to explore different research areas – it helped me to figure out what I didn’t want to do, just as much as what I did.
Why did you choose to do a PhD?
Throughout my time at university I definitely went back and forth between getting an industry job or doing a PhD.
After a tiring and challenging four year degree, I was feeling a bit fatigued and was questioning whether a PhD was right for me.
At first I was also a bit put off by the financial drawback of doing a PhD, but I also felt that I would miss the technical depth and challenge that comes with research, and didn’t think that getting a more corporate-style job was right for me.
For me, the QE CDT at Bristol seemed like the right middle ground as it offered a more structured and collaborative approach to pursuing a PhD, focussing on an exciting area of technology which is currently growing, both within academia and industry. I saw it as a way to continue learning while also setting myself up for an interesting career, whatever that turns out to be. I was fortunate to be offered a place, and accepted before applying for any jobs.
How did you decide on a project?
The CDT structure is quite different from a traditional PhD. In the programme, the first year is a training year, with taught modules and 2-3 short research projects. Towards the end of the first year, you decide on your main area of research and spend years 2-4 researching this for your PhD.
During the first year, I worked on both experimental projects in integrated quantum photonics and some theory work in algorithm design for performing quantum operations in spin-coupled systems. I also took modules in quantum optics, cold atoms, and photonic device fabrication, which gave me a broader understanding of fields within quantum technologies.
By the end of the year, I knew I wanted to be doing experimental work in integrated photonics, but I didn’t necessarily know the exact topic. I therefore decided to choose my project based on three main factors:
- which supervisors did I want to work with,
- what skills would I gain, and,
- how much the project aligned with my interests.
At the moment, as part of my project I am researching how to control and tune single photon sources, which are a fundamental resource for quantum photonic experiments, including optical quantum computation and quantum sensing. In future stages of my PhD research, I will be looking to utilise integrated quantum photonics to conduct quantum foundational experiments.
What was the application process like?
I found out about the QECDT through friends in Bristol, and the application process involved submitting a CV and a personal statement. I was then invited to an interview day which included a panel interview with academics, an informal networking session with current students and postdocs, and tours of the facilities.
How did you arrange funding?
A place on the CDT programme automatically came fully-funded for 4 years by the EPSRC.
What do you think made your application stand out?
Strong academic performance certainly helped, though I know plenty of students with higher grades, so this is not the only thing that matters. I think what helped me was an openness to explore new areas and having a mix of different research experiences.
The CDT model is well-suited to people who don’t necessarily know exactly what they want to research, and are open-minded and curious, and I think that flexibility worked in my favour.
Do you have any advice for people applying for a PhD?
Try not to place too much emphasis on choosing the “perfect” project within a particular field of interest – I’ve found that most research becomes interesting once you get far enough into it. That said, think carefully about what you want your day-to-day to look like and what you can see yourself researching.
Also, make sure to get to know the supervisor and the group, and ask questions about the culture and work environment – I think it’s really important to work somewhere that has a strong support structure and a nice work culture.
Life as a PhD Student
How have you found your PhD so far? Has it differed from your expectations?
I’ve definitely found aspects of it to be challenging so far, but in a different way to an undergraduate degree.
My experience is that the pace is slower and more self-directed (although of course it does get very busy at times). This has allowed me to go deeper into topics and understand them at a much higher level, which I’m finding very rewarding.
I treat it more like a regular job than a degree, which helps me stay balanced and allows me to be more productive.
Being part of a CDT has also made a huge difference. Having a cohort of peers and a dedicated management team has created a strong support network which really helps to make the journey much smoother.
Have you found the PhD stressful? If so, how have you handled the stress?
At times, yes. It can be a very steep learning curve, and there are often lots of mini “failures”, especially in the beginning.
Personally, I find it helpful to zoom out and not get too stressed over what happens day-to-day.
A PhD is a long process so I think it is important to just keep showing up and celebrate the small wins, as well as expecting plenty of losses.
I have also personally found it really helpful to make time to relax outside of work, whether that’s spending time with friends or making time for hobbies, particularly sport and exercise!
Jeff’s note: Here are a few relevant articles I’ve written on these topics:
What have been the highlights?
One of the benefits of doing a PhD is having the potential opportunity to travel to interesting places, whether that be for conferences, trips or even internships.
In the first year, I travelled to the US with my CDT cohort and had the opportunity to visit quantum companies & startups, as well as university labs at Stanford, UC Berkeley and CU Boulder. This was an amazing experience that showed me how many quantum technologies are moving out of university labs and into industry, which to me is very exciting!
It’s also worth trying to fit in some travel around conferences/trips; this allowed me to visit Yosemite National Park and explore San Francisco whilst I was in the US (which isn’t a typical PhD-budget-friendly holiday destination), so definitely fit it in a bit of travel if you can!
Thank you so much to Harry for sharing his PhD story. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together with Harry. As a reminder, you can find Harry on LinkedIn. If you’d be happy to share your own PhD story with our community please do reach out to me.
Previous PhD Profiles are available here and you can subscribe below to be notified of new posts and gain access to the Savvy Scientist resource library.
