We are living in an exceptional age for discoveries in particle physics and particle astrophysics with potential for producing step changes in understanding of the composition of matter and the structure of the Universe. The research we plan with this consolidated grant in particle physics and particle astrophysics at Sheffield is at the core of these discoveries. Firstly, we appear to be near answering the fundamental question of what gives particles mass. In this field Sheffield will continue to play a leading role in the ATLAS experiment that now looks to be on the verge of solving the mystery by detecting the famous Higgs Boson. Our ATLAS work, where we are currently the only UK group heavily involved in the flagship 4-lepton channel Higgs search, will aim to confirm the first evidence for excess reported in Dec. 2011. Simultaneously work will continue in the equally fundamental hunt to find supersymmetric particles and on radiation modeling and detector tests for the ATLAS upgrade anticipated as the next experiment. We currently provide the UK spokesman for ATLAS. A second recent major advance, made by the T2K experiment in 2011, reports evidence for a non-zero third neutrino mixing angle. This potentially unlocks progress to experiments in so-called charge-parity (CP) violation to answer the mystery of why the Universe contains matter and virtually no anti-matter. Our T2K and neutrino group will focus on contributing further analysis to confirm the new results but also, using our membership of the LBNO and LBNE collaborations, progress key new detector technology towards a next generation long baseline neutrino experiment to see CP violation. For this our focus will be with liquid argon technology, our pioneering work on electroluminescence light readout for that, and our simulation work on backgrounds from muons. The latter is key also to our on-going work towards an experiment to see if the proton decays, an issue at the core of understanding Grand Unified Theories of physics. Closely related and vital for our neutrino programme is continued participation in SNO+, aimed at understanding solar neutrinos, and the MICE experiment with its related R&D on high power particle beam targets for future neutrino beams. Technological developments recently led to significant improvement in sensitivity of detectors to WIMP dark matter with key contributions from the Sheffield group towards EDELWEISS and DRIFT. Exploiting our leadership in background mitigation strategy, calibration and data analysis, our future work will concentrate on EDELWEISS operation and data analysis, as well as on developments towards ton-scale cryogenic experiment EURECA. The group is also uniquely well positioned to contribute through new work aiming to see, or exclude, a definitive galactic signature for the claimed low mass WIMP events. Our pioneering work on directional WIMP detectors will see a new experiment installed at the UK's Boulby underground site, DRIFTIIe, while our continued analysis of data from DM-ICE17 at the Antarctic South Pole, for which we supplied the NaI detectors, will seek an annual modulation galactic signature and inform design of a new experiment there planned for 2013. Our generic detector R&D is vital to underpinning the group, closely related to a vigorous knowledge exchange programme that now includes funded projects involving 15 different companies. Highlight activity here will include development of particle tracking technology in liquid argon relevant to neutrino physics and astrophysics, new gas-based directional neutron programmes with relevance for homeland security, and new muon veto R&D. The latter links to our KE programme on CO2 underground storage technology. We plan first deployment of test detectors at 760m depth by 2013. This is part of the group's contribution to key social agendas in climate change and crime prevention.

We will establish a UK quantum device prototyping service, focusing on design, manufacture, test, packaging and rapid device prototyping of quantum photonic devices. QuPIC will provide academia and industry with an affordable route to quantum photonic device fabrication through commercial-grade fabrication foundries and access to supporting infrastructure. QuPIC will provide qualified design tools tailored to each foundry's fabrication processes, multiproject wafer access, test and measurement, and systems integration facilities, along with device prototyping capabilities. The aim is to enable greater capability amongst quantum technology orientated users by allowing adopters of quantum photonic technologies to realise advanced integrated quantum photonic devices, and to do so without requiring in-depth knowledge. We will bring together an experienced team of engineers and scientists to provide the required breadth of expertise to support and deliver this service. Four work packages deliver the QuPIC service. They are: WP1 - Design tools for photonic simulation and design software, thermal and mechanical design packages and modelling WP2 - Wafer fabrication - Establishing the qualified component library for the different fabrication processes and materials and offering users a multi-project wafer service WP3 - Integrated device test and measurement - Automated wafer scale electrical and optical characterisation, alignment systems, cryogenic systems to support single-photon detector integration) WP4 - Packaging and prototyping - Tools for subsystem integration into hybrid and functionalised quantum photonic systems and the rapid prototyping of novel, candidate component designs before wafer-scale manufacturing and testing The design tools (WP1) will provide all the core functionality and component libraries to allow users to design quantum circuits, for a range of applications. We will work closely with fabrication foundries (WP2) to qualify the design libraries and to provide affordable access to high-quality devices via a multi-project wafer approach, where many users share the fabrications costs. Specialist test and measurement facilities (WP3) will provide rapid device characterization (at the wafer level), whilst packaging and prototyping tools (WP4) will allow the assembly of subsystems into highly functionalised quantum photonic systems.

The ability to supply small amounts of power over long periods of time is becoming increasingly important in many applications including: microelectromechanical system technologies; implantable medical devices such as neurostimulators e.g. to alleviate the effects of Parkinson's disease or chronic pain; embedded electronics and sensors; as well as various defence and security applications. The core aim of this proposal is to produce a commercially viable robust, miniature and high-efficiency radioisotope microbattery for microelectronics to be deployed in inaccessible or hostile environments.

The conversion of acoustic signals (sound) to electrical signals, and vice-versa, is a technology that has found widespread practical applications. These include, for example: microphones and loudspeakers for sound recording and reproduction at audio frequencies (approx 20 Hz to 20 kHz); transducers for ultrasonic pulse-echo measurement and ultrasonic imaging systems (approx 20 KHz to 100s of MHz); and surface acoustic wave devices for signal processing in mobile communication devices (100s of MHz to a few GHz). The aim of this project is to develop a new technology for conversion between acoustic and electromagnetic (EM) signals, which works at much higher frequencies (10s of GHz to a few THz) and exploits acoustoelectric and piezojunction effects in semiconductor nanostructures and devices. Acoustoelectric effects in semiconductors are due to the electrons "riding" the acoustic wave as it travels through the crystal. The electrons are effectively dragged along by the sound wave from one electrical contact to the other, giving rise to an electrical current. We have recently obtained experimental evidence for acoustoelectric effect at acoustic wave frequencies up to 100s of GHz in semiconductor nanostructures which points to the feasibility of the proposed project to reach the THz range. The piezojunction effect is a related phenomenon, where the sound wave modulates the electrical conduction across an interface, or junction, between semiconductors such as found in, for example, diodes and transistors. Again, recent experimental evidence obtained by us shows that the piezojunction effect works to very high (THz) frequencies. In the project we will investigate a number of the most promising devices for acoustoelectric applications, and optimise their sensitivity and speed in response to the THz acoustic waves generated by ultrafast laser techniques or saser (sound laser). Potential applications, which we will explore in this project, include: new and improved methods of generation, manipulation and detection of THZ EM waves, e.g. heterodyne mixing of THz sound with THz EM waves, which have applications is scientific research, medical imaging and security screening; and the generation and detection of nanometre wavelength hypersound, which may be used to extend the established ultrasonics measurement and imaging techniques to the study of materials and structures at the nanoscale.

CCD technology has been developed in the past for direct X-ray detection and is quite mature, having been flown on X-ray astronomy missions such as XMM, Swift and Chandra. In these CCD X-ray detectors, what is referred to as 'Fano-limited' performance has been achieved, meaning that the intrinsic energy resolution of the sensor is limited by a combination of the system read noise and the Fano-limited shot noise in silicon, which is a basic physical limit. This enables for example a full width at half maximum (FWHM) resolution of ~130 eV at 6 keV, and has been used in the non-dispersive imagers returning images that include photon spectroscopic information for EPIC and Swift with high detection efficieny. The devices do have limitations, particularly the maximum count rate capability (restricted by the need to transfer the whole image through a small number of output nodes), and in charge transfer efficiency under space proton damage which degrades the intrinsic energy resolution. Beyond Space Science, these detectors have found use in a range of terrestrial applications ranging from synchrotron research and free electron lasers, to industrial X-ray spectroscopy and bio-medical imaging. In future, the requirements for X-ray astronomy might be seen to diverge into two main classes, non-dispersive imaging as in the case of XMM/EPIC or the wide field imager for IXO, where the focused flux could be very high, and in dispersive instruments such as XMM/RGS or the grating spectrometer (XGS) on IXO. Over the last year, the CEI has lead the study of the XGS on IXO for ESA and is well placed to build upon this work in the future and the mission concept for such large astronomy telescopes progresses through the ESA/NASA/JAXA systems. The current detector of choice for the dispersive-type instrument is currently still the CCD, whilst for high throughput applications (with large optics), the pixel array is more favoured. We currently have two STFC-funded PhD students, one studying X-ray CCDs towards XEUS (now IXO) (Tutt), and another studying e2v's new CMOS technology for space applications (Dryer), particularly concentrating on the impact of space radiation damage in these new sensors. During the course of the CMOS PhD however, the student has developed test techniques using monochromatic X-rays for calibration, and the initial results are promising, yielding ~250 eV resolution at room temperature (where conventional CCDs may need to be cooled to below -60 degrees C to achieve similar performance). The CCD technology, being more mature, provides a state of the art reference (low noise with good energy resoution, pixels well matched to the application, high detection efficiency, reasonable radiation hardness). The newer CMOS technology is much less mature, comprising higher noise, very small pixels, but with very high frame rates, the possibility of complex windowing readout modes and further in-pixel signal processing possibilities. In addition, future developments at e2v during the course of the studentship will see the development of higher efficiency, lower noise designs, which should become much more suitable for X-ray applications. In the course of this PhD, we would propose a candidate who studied and developed X-ray detection for future astronomy applications using both CCD and CMOS technologies. The student would use the readily available CCDs as a foundation for their work and understanding of the technology and instrument requirements, but would spend >60% of their time on the development of CMOS imager technology toward a truly useful imager capable of performing imaging spectroscopy on X-ray photons for science applications. We would anticipate that the work performed would be of benefit to other science areas such as synchrotron research, solar physics, and fusion research. The student could take advantage of a recent PhD-student programme in collaboration with PSI, Switzerland, for access to synchrtron beamlines.