Dr Matt Hodgson

Lecturer of Theoretical Physics

   

About me

I graduated from the University of York, UK in 2012 with a Master’s degree in Theoretical Physics with first-class honours. In 2016, I earned my PhD under the supervision of Prof. Rex Godby and received the K. M. Stott Prize for excellence in scientific research for my thesis titled Electrons in Model Nanostructures. Following my doctorate, I worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Eberhard Gross at the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle, Germany. I then spent two years at Durham University, before starting my lectureship at the University of York in 2021.

Experience and Affiliations

Education

  • University of York, Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (2024-present); Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (2012-2016); Master of Physics in Theoretical Physics with first-class honours (2008-2012)

My Research

My research focuses on the fundamentals of quantum theory and its application to modelling the electron excitation properties of materials. I have published 17 research papers in various international journals. My research contributions include the authorship of the iDEA code, a comprehensive Python software library for exploring and understanding many‑body quantum mechanics, fundamental insights into the calculation of excited electron states with density functional theory, and the development of a method for accurately simulating many‑electron real‑time dynamics.

Publication

Electron excitation

Kohn and Sham's approach to density functional theory is the most popular method in materials science; however, it is notoriously unreliable for calculating electron excitation properties.

Publication

Electron dynamics

Modelling the response of electrons to an applied electric field remains a challenge; yet determining the flow of charge through a material is crucial for the design of integrated circuits.

Publication

Electron emission

Many-body perturbation theory is commonly used to calculate the spectral function; however, increasing the accuracy of this approach is challenging owing to the computational cost.