Physics
The Physics Department of the University of Otago was the first Physics Department in New Zealand. The Chair in Natural Philosophy was established when the University opened in July 1871. Ever since, the Department has embraced innovative teaching methods, promoted a vigorous research ethos, and been committed both to Physics as a discipline and to its applications.
Our research ranges from the fundamental quantum processes that underlie our very existence, through the largest explosions in the solar system, Antarctic ice, supercomputers and robotics, to the development of the next generation of energy efficient homes.
Recent Deposits
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Frequency Tuning of Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators with Planar Dielectric Substrates
In this work we investigate the proposed relationship between planar dielectric substrates of increasing refractive index, and their effect on the frequency of a resonant mode confined in a whispering gallery mode resonator. ... -
Optical Sensitivities of Three Flow-through Porous Plasmonic Sensors
The research studies presented in this thesis include analysing the sensitivity of three different plasmonic substrates with arrays of open-ended nanometric holes. The first plasmonic nanohole array based sensor consisted ... -
Reconstructing Free-Energy Landscapes For Cyclic Motor Proteins
Cyclic motor proteins are responsible for energy conversion processes inside the cell. Their dynamical behaviour can be described theoretically in terms of over-damped Brownian motion on a tilted periodic free-energy ... -
Direct Measurements of Collisional Dynamics in Ultracold Atom Triads
In this thesis, I present experimental methodology and results for direct measurements of ultracold few-atom collision dynamics, which allows quantum processes to be observed at the single event level. Three individual 85 ... -
Dipolar Bose-Einstein Condensate with a Vortex
We theoretically consider the properties of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate with a vortex. Our theory includes the influence of the leading order quantum fluctuation corrections which allows the condensate to stabilize ... -
A Temporal Approach to Characterizing Electrical Peak Demand: Assessment of GHG Emissions at the Supply Side and Identification of Dominant Household Factors at the Demand Side
When electricity demand is at its highest it is most costly to generate and transmit and is usually considered to produce the greatest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, so reducing peaks can have a double benefit. In most ... -
Measuring The Gravitational Field with an Atomic Ruler
This thesis presents the experimental and theoretical studies of the survival resonances in a dissipative atom-optics system, and their applications. We demonstrate this resonant phenomenon by using an alternative approach ... -
Characterising Frazil Ice Populations using Acoustic Techniques
There is a demand for quantitative frazil ice size observations in order to fully model an Ice Shelf Water (ISW) plume describing the outflow of supercooled melt water from underneath ice shelves. These outflows have ... -
Exact nonlinear dynamics of Spinor BECs applied to nematic quenches
In this thesis we study the nonlinear dynamics of spin-1 and spin-2 Bose-Einstein condensates, with particular application to antiferromagnetic systems exhibiting nematic (beyond magnetic) order. Firstly, we give a derivation ... -
An investigation into the meat processing waste biorefinery: design, integration and optimisation
In recognition of the possibility of utilising biomass waste streams as sustainable carbon resources and thus reduce society’s dependence on non-renewable carbon sources, the application of the biorefinery concept has been ... -
Relativistic Electron Microbursts: Properties and Possible Plasma Wave Drivers
Relativistic (>1 MeV) electron microbursts (<1 s duration) are particle precipitation events, thought to be significant contributors to radiation belt losses. Although these events are known to be intense, the exact ... -
Estimating the Technical Potential of Residential Demand Response in New Zealand: A Summary of Results
This report was prepared by researchers at the University of Otago as part of the GREEN Grid project funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. The report summarises our order-of-magnitude estimates of ... -
Hyperfine Structure and Coherent Properties of Erbium-167-doped Yttrium Orthosilicate
Erbium-167-doped yttrium orthosilicate (167Er3+:Y2SiO5) is a rare-earth-ion-doped crystal which possesses unique properties that would make it an ideal microwave-addressed quantum memory. It has an optical transition at ... -
Connecting the Microscopic and Macroscopic in Unconventional Superconductors
In this thesis, a Linked-Cluster Expansion is utilized to derive expressions for the macroscopic Ginzburg-Landau constants in terms of variables connected to the microscopic Bogoliubov Hamiltonian. The resultant Ginzburg-Landau ... -
GIC produced by Solar Wind transients
Geomagnetic storms are potentially hazardous to the activities and technological infrastructure of modern civilisation. The storms cause large and comparatively rapid changes in the geomagnetic field at the Earth’s surface, ... -
Three-Dimensional Manipulation of Ultracold Atoms using Optical Tweezers
This thesis describes the design and construction of a three-dimensional optical tweezer system. The three-dimensional aspects were constructed as a modular upgrade to a previously existing one-dimensional system and were ... -
A Theoretical Study of Brownian Motors with Self-Induced Temperature Gradients
Brownian motors surmount energy barriers by absorbing and emitting heat to and from their local environment. In most theoretical treatments, the temperature gradients created in these heat exchanges are assumed to dissipate ... -
Columnar Ice versus Platelet Ice: Differences, Consequences, and Significance
Antarctic land-fast sea ice (fast ice) is sea ice fastened to land or ice shelves. Fast ice is an important component of Antarctic coastal marine ecosystems, providing a prolific habitat for ice algal communities. Columnar ... -
Asymmetric sub-wavelength Fabry-Perot resonators for gas sensing applications.
This thesis is a report of investigation on resonance-enhanced absorption of light in ultra-thin optically lossy films on metal substrates for gas sensing applications. Planar thin-film structures comprising lossy coatings ... -
Experimental evidence and properties of EMIC wave driven electron precipitation
One of the key drivers of electron losses from the radiation belts is the interaction between radiation belt electrons and the electromagnetic plasma waves that populate the magnetosphere. In particular, electromagnetic ...