The department researches the interaction of light and matter over an enormous range of conditions, from high-energy plasmas created by the most powerful lasers in the world, to the coherent manipulation of single quantum particles for implementing quantum information processing, to the creation of exotic states of quantum matter such as Bose-Einstein condensation. The DPhil is a research degree and you normally start working on your main research project as soon as you arrive. In parallel with your project, you will be expected to attend a taught course in atomic and laser physics in the first year, comprising lectures, seminars and discussion classes at graduate level. A large number of former ALP graduate students now pursue careers in either academia or industry, predominantly focusing on research and development.