Rate My Professor Paul Oxley

Paul Oxley serves as Associate Professor and Chair of the Physics Department at the College of the Holy Cross. He holds a B.A. Honors in Physics (First Class) from Pembroke College, Oxford University (1991-1994). Oxley began his doctoral studies at New College, Oxford University (1995-1997) before transferring to Harvard University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Physics in 2003. His dissertation, titled “Production of Slow Antihydrogen from Cold Antimatter Plasmas,” contributed to early research on cold antimatter. Following his Ph.D., he worked as a Research Associate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota (2003-2005). Earlier, he was a Research Scientist at Furukawa Research and Engineering Europe Ltd. (1994-1995). At Holy Cross since 2005, Oxley has been promoted to Associate Professor and currently chairs the department. He received the Harlech Traveling Scholarship in 1997 to support his studies at Harvard.

Oxley's research focuses on experimental atomic physics, particularly ion-atom collision studies and charge transfer collisions relevant to astrophysical and fusion plasma research, as well as laser spectroscopy of highly-excited atoms to test quantum electrodynamics. His publications appear in leading journals such as Physical Review Letters, Physical Review A, and Review of Scientific Instruments. Key works include “Measurements of charge transfer and target-electron-loss cross sections for H⁺, D⁺, and He⁺ impact on lithium at low energies” (Physical Review A, 2022), “Precision Atomic Beam Density Characterization by Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy” with Joseph Wihbey (Review of Scientific Instruments, 2016), “Measurement of the Lithium 10p Fine Structure Interval and Absolute Energy” with Patrick Collins (Physical Review A, 2010), and seminal papers on cold antihydrogen production such as “Driven Production of Cold Antihydrogen and the First Measured Distribution of Antihydrogen States” (Physical Review Letters, 2002). Oxley has served on the Health Professions Advisory Committee, the Physics Department Committee on Assessment, advised the Society of Physics Students, and contributed to the national Council on Undergraduate Research.