Dr. Patrick Heighway, a former student at Queen Mary’s College, was awarded the prestigious European XFEL Young Scientist Award. 

Journey At QMC and After

At QMC, Patrick studied Mathematics, Physics, Ancient History and Graphic Communication. 

Recalling his time at college, he said, “I couldn’t imagine a better environment than QMC to bridge the gap between secondary school and university. It was here that I discovered my love for Physics, thanks to my fantastic teachers, who encouraged me to explore beyond the classroom and think independently. The main catalyst for this was my Extended Project Qualification on interstellar travel, which gave me my first real taste of research!”

Patrick studied Physics at the University of Oxford and later, completed a PhD in Atomic and Laser Physics. He then made his ascent working within the department. Starting by being a marker for the Physics Aptitude Test and the British Physics Olympiad, he became a stipendiary lecturer in Physics and currently resides as a  Postdoctoral Research Assistant at the university.

What does his work consist of?

As Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Patrick works at the Oxford Centre for High Energy Density Science (OxCHEDS). His research encompasses the study of the behaviour of metals and minerals at extreme pressures and temperatures, using a combination of computer simulations and experiments at international facilities.

Besides research, he teaches Mathematics courses and Thermal Physics to first and second year students at the University of Oxford, specifically acting as a Coordinating Tutor in Physics at St. Hilda’s College.

What is the XFEL Young Scientist Award?

The European X-RAY Free-Electron Lasers Facility (XFEL), based in Hamburg, is an independent research facility. It houses the largest X-ray free-electron laser in the world. 

The XFEL Young Scientist Award acknowledges the outstanding work of young researchers at the early stages of their career. Candidates must have a track record of leadership in science through important contributions to beamtimes, improvements to the facility, data analysis and/or interpretation by means of theory or modelling.

The winner is selected by the User Organisation Executive Committee. The prize comprises of 2000 euros and an invitation to present at the next European XFEL Users’ Meeting. 

Patrick’s Contributions 

In recognition of his excellent contributions, Patrick was put forward for the award by the team who performed the first DiPOLE experiment at the European XFEL. This team includes academics from notable institutions such Oxford, York,  and Edinburgh as well as the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the United States of America.

Patrick’s crucial role in measuring X-ray diffraction at extreme pressures and temperatures at the HED-HiBEF was the standout achievement which led him to win the award. His work takes experimental data and combines it with molecular dynamics simulations to provide critical insight into the nature of release pathways, and the fundamental interaction of grains in compressed polycrystalline materials. Indeed, this work is significant to various fields such as geophysics, fundamental material science, shock and plasma physics, the search for novel materials, and understanding pathways to fusion energy.

A Word From The QMC Science Department

“The QMC Physics team was delighted to hear of Patrick’s European XFEL Young Scientist Award. It is a fantastic achievement, and we send him our heartfelt congratulations. Patrick was an exceptional physics student at Queen Mary’s College, his teachers remember him fondly. It is great to see his hard work and dedication being recognised. Well done Patrick!” – Nick Everett, Director of Learning of Science, Computing and Information Technology.