ANDREI RUSKUC
Updated 27th Sept. 2016
GENERAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:
Home Address:
Term-time Address:
E-mail:
Phone number:
URL:
19th May 1995
1 Moir Crescent, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8XN
Churchill College, Storey’s Way, Cambridge, CB3 0DS
ar720@cam.ac.uk
+447526817911
people.ds.cam.ac.uk/ar720
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION—CHURCHILL COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
Natural Sciences Part II Physics
Final result: Class I, 76.7%.
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2015–2016
Research Review: “Light-based digital lithography beyond the diffraction limit” (82.5%).
Long Vacation Project: “Planar Nano-structured Silicon Lenses for Optical Trapping” (75.4%).
Experiment 1: “Semiconductor Quantum Devices” (78%).
Experiment 2: “Coherence and Information in a Fibre Interferometer” (79.5%).
Advanced Quantum Physics (85%).
Optics and Electrodynamics (83%).
Particle and Nuclear Physics (82%).
Quantum Condensed Matter Physics (67%).
Soft Condensed Matter Physics (68%).
Relativity (76%).
Natural Sciences Part IB
Final result: Class I, ranked 77/584.
2014–2015
· Physics A (77.9%).
· Physics B (74.2%).
· Mathematics (78.4%).
Natural Sciences Part IA
Final result: Class I, 75.7%, ranked 57/630.
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2013–2014
Physics (77.9%).
Mathematics (85%).
Computer Science (72.2%).
Materials Science (70%).
SCHOOL EDUCATION—MADRAS COLLEGE, ST ANDREWS
Advanced Higher
2012–2013
· Physics, Mathematics, Mechanics, Chemistry, Technological Studies: A band 1 in all.
Higher
2011–2012
· Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Technological Studies, Computing Studies, English: A band 1 in all.
Standard Grade
2010–2011
· Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, Technological Studies, Computing Studies, English, Geography,
French: 1 in all.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Modelling the Q Factor of Photonic Crystal Cavities
University of Ottawa Quantum Photonics Group
Summer 2016
· Supervisors: Prof. R. W. Boyd, Dr J. Upham.
· Duration: 11 weeks.
· I developed a method of modelling the Q-factor of photonic crystal cavities from 2D simulations. This
reduces the computational requirements for photonic cavity design by several orders of magnitude
compared to the 3D methods currently in use. Results are very promising and we intend to publish
soon: please contact me for further details.
As a side project I designed an experimental setup to measure SRR metasurfaces with the aim of
showing that the work published in [Leon I. D. et al., 2015. Nature Scientific Reports, 5, 13034.]
can be used to produce an ultra-thin circular polarisation sorter. Further simulation, fabrication and
measurement are required before results can be published.
Planar Nano-structured Silicon Lenses for Optical Trapping
University of York Physics Department Photonics Group
Summer 2015
· Supervisors: Prof. T. F. Krauss, D. Stellinga.
· Duration: 9 weeks.
· I designed, fabricated and tested silicon high contrast grating micro-lenses with a high numerical aperture that operated in water for the purposes of optical trapping. The lenses consisted of silicon gratings
with a locally varying period and duty-cycle which map the phase profile of a parabolic reflector onto
the flat structure. I fabricated the lenses using electron-beam lithography.
Automating a Sputtering System
University of St Andrews Physics Department Microphotonics Group
Summer 2012
· Supervisors: Prof. T. F. Krauss, Dr C. Reardon.
· Duration: 4 weeks.
· The aim of this project was to automate an ultra-high vacuum sputtering system. It involved a combination of hardware and software interfacing with various instruments and the writing of a control program
in Labview to execute the sputtering process. The program was tested by performing three sputter
deposition runs and the results were examined using a scanning electron microscope and profilometer.
Work Experience
University of St Andrews Physics Department Microphotonics Group
November 2010
· Supervisors: Prof. T. F. Krauss, Dr C. Reardon.
· Duration: 1 week.
· I wrote the control program for a device that measured the emission spectrum of an LED in three
dimensions and plotted the results.
For further details, including reports and posters, see my webpage (in General Information).
PRIZES/ACHIEVEMENTS/SCHOLARSHIPS
· Churchill College Travel Grant 2016: £300 for vacation research placement at University of Ottawa.
· Churchill College Prize Scholarship 2014–2016: £120 each year.
· SQA Academic Excellence Award 2013: highest average Advanced Higher exam percentage in Scotland.
Average of 97.4% across 5 Advanced Higher examinations.
· Highest mark in the 2013 Advanced Higher Chemistry examination in Scotland: 99.2%.
· Highest mark in the 2013 Advanced Higher Technological Studies examination in Scotland.
· Madras College Endowment Trust Bursary: £150 p.a. for duration of University studies.
· Madras College Dux of School and of Science 2013.
· Mathematics competitions 2008–2013: Scottish Mathematical Challenge—6 gold certificates, UKMT
Individual Challenges—6 gold certificates.
· Nuffield Bursary Scheme 2012: funding for summer project in the School of Physics and Astronomy,
University of St Andrews—£320.
· Arkwright Scholarship (Engineering) 2011: £1000.
· Top of the Bench Chemistry competition 2011: (team of 4) top in Scotland and 6th in UK.
OTHER SKILLS
· Programming Languages: C++, Java, Labview, Matlab, ML and LATEX.
· Lab skills: laser training up to and including Class 4, cleanroom training, SEM training, e-beam
lithography training on machines including Raith Voyager e-beam system and SAMCO reactive ion
etcher.
· Languages: English, Serbian, basic French.
OTHER INTERESTS AND POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY
· Long-standing interest in electronics/prototype building—I have designed and built a 3D printer. For
more details on projects see my webpage (in General Information).
· Member of Cambridge Hands-On Science (CHaOS) since 2013—participating in Science outreach events
around the UK.
· 2015–present: CHaOS Committee Physics and Engineering coordinator.
· 2014–2015: CHaOS Committee Building Officer: in charge of maintenance and building new experiments.
· Co-founded the Madras College Science Club and ran weekly Physics/Chemistry experiments in my
last year of school.
· Assistant Scout Leader at 8th Fife St Andrews and 11th/9th Cambridge Newnham Scout Troops since
2013.