PhD Studentship on the XLZD Neutrino Experiment

Applications are invited from talented and creative students for a PhD place in Experimental Particle Physics to join the recently established Sussex team working on the design of the next-generation dark matter experiment using liquid xenon technology. The UK’s deep underground science facility at Boulby mine in the North-East of England is a possible location for the new experiment. As part of the UK contingent of the Xenon Lux-Zeplin Darwin (XLZD) Consortium for dark matter research, Sussex is contributing to the design of the XLZD Outer Detector, which is essential to enable XLZD's mission as a rare event observatory. Sussex is also contributing to the investigation of low-energy atmospheric neutrino interactions in the detector, which are a key background to direct dark matter searches approaching the so-called “neutrino fog”. The successful candidate will join this exciting effort at Sussex, working under the supervision of Professor Antonella De Santo and in close collaboration with UK colleagues working on the XLZD design.

Funding is available for a September 2025 start which includes a tax-free bursary (£19,237 per annum in 2024/25) and fully paid tuition fees for 3.5 years at the home-student level (£4,786 per annum in 2024). Additional financial support is provided to cover short-term and long-term travel. Interviews of shortlisted candidates will be held in February and March initially and will continue until positions are filled. Applications from self-funded students interested in available projects are also welcome at any time of the year.

For more details about the project, please contact Prof. Antonella De Santo: A.De-Santo@sussex.ac.uk.

For practical questions about applications and/or eligibility for funding, please contact mps-pgrsupport@sussex.ac.uk.

For academic questions please contact the coordinator of EPP PhD admissions, Dr Elisabeth Falk: E.Falk@sussex.ac.uk.

Applications: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/study/phd/apply.

Please state in the Finance section of the online form that you are applying for STFC EPP studentships.