Freddie Daniels

I studied physics as an undergraduate at Durham University between 2019 and 2022, where I developed a love of theoretical and computational physics. For this reason, I chose to pursue a Master’s degree in theoretical physics at Durham, during which I studied condensed matter physics, many body quantum systems and particle physics. After graduating, I took a year out to travel and look for the perfect PhD. The Fusion Power CDT caught my attention as an ideal opportunity to use and develop my skills, applying them to understand real world systems like fusion tokamaks.

In order to sustain a fusion reaction on earth, the incredibly high temperature plasma must be confined using strong magnetic fields. Such field strengths can only be achieved using superconducting electromagnets, which must be able to handle very large current densities and fields. Increasing the capabilities of these superconducting magnets is crucial to optimising the performance of the next generation of fusion tokamaks. Currently, the maximum current densities achieved in superconductors are around 100 times smaller than the theoretical limit. During my PhD, I will be using computational and analytical techniques to solve the Ginzburg-Landau equations of superconductivity, attempting to further understand the factors limiting the field strengths and current densities of high and low temperature superconductors.

Supervisors

• Prof Damian Hampshire
• Prof Frank Krauss