🎧📖 CAFE SOCIAL !! 🍵✒️
Come down to Caffe Nero THIS FRIDAY at 2pm for a ☕️ FREE COFFEE ☕️ (or drink of choice!). We’ll be chatting about revision, exam technique, and doing a little studying (perhaps) 📚
📢 Freshers — this is a great opportunity to meet experienced physics second years (we have many on committee!) and get perspectives on exam revision & structure!
Over the past decade, a new generation of light sources known as X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) has transformed our ability to explore matter under extreme conditions. These machines produce ultra-bright, ultrashort X-ray pulses (lasting just femtoseconds) that allow us to observe atomic-scale processes as they unfold in real time. By combining XFELs with powerful optical lasers, we can recreate and probe environments similar to those found deep inside planets, in stellar interiors, and in high-energy plasmas relevant to fusion energy.
In this talk, I will introduce the basic ideas behind XFELs and show how they are used to “light up” matter at extreme temperatures and pressures. We will explore how these tools are helping answer fundamental questions about the behaviour of matter far from everyday conditions, from the structure of dense plasmas to the physics of materials under shock at pressures of millions of atmospheres. Along the way, I will highlight how experiments in this field connect to big challenges such as clean energy and our understanding of the universe.
Finally, I will discuss how this rapidly evolving area of science opens up exciting opportunities for students and early-career researchers, combining ideas from physics, computation, and data science. XFEL science sits at the intersection of disciplines, offering a unique playground for those interested in both fundamental discovery and real-world impact.
Date: Friday 8th May
Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Radcliffe Science Library Wellbeing Room
Feeling your cortisol levels rising? Don’t stress–Destress with OUPS! Come along for free pizza and snacks, free sponsor merch, and a variety of games.
Located centrally, feel free to pop in and out as you please, whether for a rest, quick break, or if you’re just hungry (free food is good food!). Many of the committee will also be there, so come get to know us and give us any of your ideas for the future of OUPS!
The biggest ever STEM drinks hosted between 5 societies will take place Week 2 Monday at the OXO Bar. Sign up here now for FREE DRINKS and a night of socialising!
What if the same quirk that makes a solar cell degrade could also make it heal itself? Halide perovskites are an exceptional family of photovoltaic materials: cost-effective, highly efficient, and adaptable to flexible or semitransparent devices. But something that makes them truly unusual is that ions move freely within their structure, giving rise to fascinating physics that blurs the line between breakdown and recovery. This talk is an invitation to explore a fast-moving field where physics, materials science, and chemistry meet, and where understanding failure might be the key to building better, longer-lasting solar cells and unlocking new applications, from self-healing devices to neuromorphic electronics.
We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the Oxford Science Innovation Summit (OSIS). The event will be held at the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, from 12:00 to 17:30 on 8th March (Sun).
Admission is free of charge; however, due to limited capacity, registration is required. Please secure your place from the QR Code/ via the registration link in bio. We look forward to welcoming you to OSIS!
We’re kicking off the new term the right way — with a start-of-term drinks social to launch this year’s STEM Ball.
Join us for a relaxed evening of drinks, conversations, and reconnecting with the physics (and wider STEM) community. Whether you’re excited about the Ball, new to the society, or just here for good vibes, this one’s for you.
📍 O’Neills
🗓 Friday 23 January
⏰ 20:00–23:00
Let’s set the tone for the term ahead — see you there. 🥂
A new term, a sharper agenda, and a packed calendar ahead. This Hilary, OUPS is bringing the energy—connecting people, ideas, and opportunities across the term. Expect momentum, ambition, and plenty of reasons to show up.
Oxford University Physics Society 