The Duke of York was in Cambridge on 6th November, 2014 to visit the Cavendish Laboratory.
HRH visited key research exhibits and met students using the facilities. Cavendish Laboratory was opened in 1874 under the direction of James Clerk Maxwell, The University of Cambridge’s first Cavendish Professor of Experimental Physics. In 1974, the Cavendish Laboratory moved from the central Cambridge site to a new development in West Cambridge.
The Cavendish Laboratory hopes to be able to develop the Laboratory to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The redevelopment site is planned to contain 100,000 square metres of research facilities, with 40,000 square metres for external research institutes and facilities linked to the University.
The Duke was greeted by Head of School of Physical Sciences, Professor Rob Kennicutt and Professor Andy Parker, Head of the Cavendish Laboratory before visiting the Museum. HRH was shown a number of exhibits including Splitting of the Atom which shows the history of the ground breaking experiments into molecular physics undertaken by Ernest Rutherford.
HRH met post-doctoral students in the Fundamental Quantum Mechanics Laboratory. The Laboratory’s focus area is the advancement of Quantum Information Science and Technologies.
The Duke visited the Optoelectronics Laboratory where research is taking place into the physics of new semiconductors. HRH was briefed on Polymer electronics and solar energy, and some of the spin out companies who have benefited from their involvement with the department including Cambridge Display Technology, Plastic Logic, and Eight19.
Finally, The Duke visited the Quantum Matter Laboratory where HRH met Dr. Suchitra Sebastian who discussed her research into developing new superconductors. In this laboratory work is being done to create new superconducting materials to transform the energy landscape.
Afterwards, The Duke joined the Vice Chancellor of The University of Cambridge, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, for lunch.
