Carla Figueira

Prof Dr Carla Figueira de Morisson Faria is a Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UCL, and is also part of the UCL Quantum and AMOPP groups.

Carla became a professor in 2018, having held the position of Reader in Physics (Associate Professor) since 2013. She joined UCL in 2007 from her previous position as lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at City, University of London.

Before this, she worked at a number of institutions around the world:

I spent many years in Germany and Austria as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate (Dresden, Berlin, Vienna, Hanover). I also did my PhD at the Max Born Institute, Berlin, which was a great experience. I did my Masters/Undergraduate studies at the University of Sao Paulo and I am originally from the Amazon delta, so I have been around. This made me highly adaptable and in a sense a citizen of the world. Some friends even joke I am delocalized, because I feel I belong to many places and sometimes get confused when asked where I come from. Usually I like big cities as they are more anonymous, open and friendly to foreigners (although this has unfortunately changed with Brexit). A position at UCL gave me a chance to come back to physics (although maths will always have a place in my heart).

Carla's current research covers a wide range of phenomena in strong-field and attosecond (1×10⁻¹⁸ of a second) physics. This involves looking at matter in extreme conditions and at some of the shortest time scales in nature - a great playground for a theoretical physicist.

The usual approaches used in optics do not hold and we always need to `cook up’ something new. Recently we managed to develop a novel semi-analytic approach, which is perfect for looking at quantum interference and imaging in the attosecond domain, and I started to focus more on the interface between attosecond physics and quantum technologies. There are many open questions and powerful tools from quantum optics that can be used in this context, and we are only starting to look into these untapped potential. For that reason it is great to be a part of the UCL Quantum centre.

Carla would also like to explore multielectron, correlated systems, in strong fields and has just been awarded a grant together with researchers at the Queen’s University Belfast to look into this area.

Asked about her favourite aspects of UCL, her first thoughts stray outside of the physics department:

I like the “spookyness”: The old buildings, our resident mummy, the lions and the fact that you are surrounded by history contribute to an interesting atmosphere (although once I had an office in a refurbished castle in Germany, which is hard to beat). It is also nice that UCL has humanities and arts. This brings a more holistic environment and different perspectives. Every place in which I worked was somehow unique and had its pros and cons, so I always try to make the best out of every situation.

Outside of work, Carla enjoys singing, travelling, hiking, yoga and meditation, and photography. She likes to read and tries to learn about other topics outside of physics, such as history and philosophy.

This is more than a hobby as I believe we should make an effort to understand our place in the world, how we fit into the bigger picture and how we can contribute to make this planet a better place. Depending on my mood l like to walk along the Thames, go to exhibitions – Tate Modern is great, for instance. I like to shop in and eat in Camden, go for hikes in Hampstead Heath, etc. I also love cats!

You can find out more about Carla and her work on her Staff Page on the Department of Physics website.