Oliver Tong
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I have always loved learning, and so graduate school only felt natural. I started my undergraduate degree at UBC in engineering, and I was lucky enough to be accepted into engineering physics. The Engineering Physics program at UBC exposed me to a wide variety of subjects and led me to discover that physics was the field that excited me the most. I had done a few amazing research internships throughout my undergraduate degree, and it made me realize how much I enjoy tackling a research problem and discovering new knowledge. I wanted to continue doing research and learning physics, so graduate school feels like the obvious next step to take.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
Throughout my undergraduate degree, I had the privilege of working with many amazing professors at UBC. Going to graduate school here allows me to continue doing that. UBC is also located in an amazing location. There are not many places where there is a world-class university beside both the ocean and mountains like UBC.
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
The Quantum Matter Institute here at UBC is an amazing facility for condensed matter physics. I loved the collaborative atmosphere of the institute, and it allowed me to learn from different areas of condensed matter physics at once.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
When I first came to UBC, I was surprised by just how large the campus is. UBC has so many beautiful areas, which means there are always new places to explore. There are also way more places to get food at and near UBC than I expected.
What aspects of your life or career before now have best prepared you for your UBC graduate program?
I found my diverse background in physics, math and engineering from my undergraduate studies has been helpful. I often used tools and concepts from outside physics to help solve problems I encountered in physics.
What do you like to do for fun or relaxation?
I enjoy cooking, hiking and learning new things in areas far away from what I typically study.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
Allow yourself to spend time on your hobbies and interests outside of just research or classes. Research does not always go the way you want it to go, and having something else you like doing makes it a lot easier to stay positive even when that happens.
Learn more about Oliver's research
As an electron moves through the crystal lattice, it can distort the lattice locally, creating phonons. The interaction between electrons and phonons is typically analyzed numerically due to its complexity. The momentum average (MA) approximation developed by the Berciu group allows this problem to be studied analytically and can be more easily generalized to situations where numerical analysis is difficult, such as in 2D and 3D systems. My research will focus on extending MA approximation into new domains where it has not yet been applied, such as 2D crystals with finite electron concentration.
