James Patrick McGilligan

James Patrick McGilligan is a Chancellor's Fellow and Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Strathclyde's Faculty of Science. He leads research in quantum sensing and atomic physics with a focus on microfabricated technologies.

His research interests center on Cold Atom Physics and Quantum Sensors, specializing in MEMS-based atomic systems. Key areas include chip-scale atomic clocks, optical lattices using microfabricated gratings, and miniaturized quantum sensors for navigation and timing applications. His work bridges fundamental atomic physics with practical engineering solutions for quantum technologies.

McGilligan's publications demonstrate consistent advancement in integrated quantum systems, with recent work focusing on optical phased arrays for atomic spectroscopy, MEMS vapor cell frequency standards, and spin relaxation optimization in magnetometers. His research shows strong progression toward practical quantum devices with industrial applications.

• Bates Prize Recipient (2025)
• Chancellors Fellowship Recipient (2022)
• Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship Recipient (2021)
• Lindemann Fellowship Recipient (2017)

As Principal Investigator, McGilligan leads multiple significant projects including the £4,000 Rank Prize-funded development of Chip Scale Atomic Clocks and the International Network for Microfabricated Atomic Quantum Sensors. His current major project "Advancing the state-of-the-art of microfabricated atomic sensors" (2025-2029) involves collaboration with Kelvin Nanotechnology Limited. He also serves as Co-investigator on the EPSRC-funded QEPNT Hub for Quantum Positioning, Navigation and Timing (2024-2029).

McGilligan actively organizes the International Network for Microfabricated Atomic Quantum Sensors workshop series and contributes to professional development in quantum sensing technologies through conference organization and collaboration networks.