Ross Knapman

Background

About Ross Knapman

I'm a postdoctoral researcher with a focus on scientific computing and a strong interest in open-source tools, automation, and writing well-engineered, maintainable software. My research involves the simulation and modeling of magnetic textures such as skyrmions and hopfions, but my technical interests extend well beyond the scope of physics. I hold a PhD in condensed matter physics from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, where I worked on micromagnetic simulations of chiral and frustrated magnets. Before that, I completed a first-class honours MPhys degree at Durham University, where I first became interested in computational physics and scientific software. I care about doing things properly — from clean code and clear documentation to meaningful testing and version control. During my PhD and postdoc, I’ve developed simulation tools, contributed to open-source projects, and supported better data and code practices within academic environments. Outside of research, I enjoy exploring technology — whether that's setting up servers, experimenting with automation tools like Ansible and Docker, or learning how different systems work together. This curiosity keeps me learning and improving how I approach technical problems. I'm especially interested in how thoughtful software development can improve the transparency, reliability, and efficiency of technical and research workflows — from simulations and data analysis to automation and infrastructure.