Chasing Time : From Sand to Silicon Carbide

Whilst time is generally considered to be the fourth dimension, measuring the passage of time is very much a human endeavour. From early attempts based on the flow of sand, through the Longitude Prize and then to modern national time standards, the need to accurately ‘know the time’ supports almost every aspect of human activity, from transportation to the energy grid and from space exploration to pizza delivery. The talk will consider the technology advancements in the measurement of time, as well as the need in these uncertain times for high accuracy timing systems and how these are realised using quantum mechanics. Finally, consideration of the need for time in off world applications and the challenges therein will be presented.

Alton Horsfall is a leading expert in the development of electronic and electrical systems for deployment in extreme environments. He holds a BSc and PhD in Physics from Durham University, experience working for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in the Future Concepts team has also worked at Newcastle University, where was promoted to the post of Reader in Semiconductor Technology. He was awarded a Senior Research Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2017. He is currently a professor at Durham University. His work has been supported through collaborations with a range of companies, including Rolls Royce, Raytheon, BAE Systems and MBDA, as well as a range of SMEs. He founded Nascent Semiconductor to provide a commercialisation route to his twenty year portfolio of semiconductor know-how and technology.

17:30-18:00 - Tea and Coffee

18:00-18:50 - In-person only Lecture Starts

18:50 to 19:00 - Q & A

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