Mitigation of radiation and hydrogen damage with laser peening through multiscale modelling PhD

Fusion energy is one of the most exciting scientific challenges of our time, offering the prospect of clean, abundant and reliable power for future generations. To make fusion a commercial reality, we need materials that can survive extreme conditions - high temperatures, intense irradiation, hydrogen exposure and complex mechanical loads. Because existing experimental facilities cannot fully replicate these environments, multiscale, physics‑based modelling has become essential to predict material performance and design next‑generation components.

One promising route to improving material resilience is Shock Laser Peening (SLP), an advanced surface‑modification technique that introduces deep compressive stresses, increases defect‑sink density, and refines microstructure. Early studies indicate that SLP may significantly reduce hydrogen and irradiation‑induced embrittlement - two of the most critical degradation mechanisms in fusion systems.

This PhD will explore how the microstructural changes caused by SLP influence:

1. Hydrogen and point‑defect mobility.
2. Interactions between defects, residual stresses and microstructural features. 
3. The competition between dislocation networks and grain boundaries as defect sinks.

Compared with traditional mechanical peening methods, SLP can generate far deeper surface modification and much higher dislocation densities. Understanding these effects will enable the rational design of manufacturing strategies for fusion‑relevant materials.

Research objectives

1. Characterise SLP‑ induced microstructures and residual stress states using a substructure‑sensitive crystal plasticity framework informed by experimental data.
2. Model hydrogen and irradiation‑induced defect transport in the presence of dislocations, grain boundaries and stress fields.
3. Integrate atomistic mobility data into mesoscale models to assess which microstructural features act as the most effective defect sinks.
4. Develop design guidelines for optimising SLP processing routes for fusion applications. 

You will develop and apply a crystal‑plasticity‑based model capable of predicting:

1. Residual stress profiles.
2. Dislocation density evolution.
3. Grain boundary formation and refinement.
4. High‑strain‑rate responses characteristic of SLP.

Model predictions will be validated against experimental measurements and combined with atomistic datasets from the literature to build a mesoscale framework for hydrogen and point‑defect transport.

Why apply for this PhD? 

• Industrial collaboration: Delivered in partnership with Curtiss‑Wright, providing real‑world context, materials, and the potential for placement opportunities. 
• Cutting‑edge science: Work at the intersection of fusion materials, hydrogen effects, irradiation damage and advanced manufacturing. 
• Interdisciplinary training: Gain expertise in materials modelling, mechanics, characterisation techniques and computational methods. 
• High impact: Your findings may directly influence material choices and lifetime predictions for future fusion reactors. 
• Transferable skills: The methods developed apply to nuclear, aerospace, energy and wider engineering sectors. 

We welcome applicants with backgrounds in materials science, metallurgy, nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or physics. Experience in computational modelling or materials characterisation is helpful but not essential - full training will be provided. We are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive research environment, and we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.