Research

Advanced surfaces and 2D materials hold great promise for addressing global challenges – their immense potential has been widely recognised and there have been huge levels of investment. In order to exploit their potential, it is crucial to understand properties and behaviours fully – yet in some cases, very little is yet known.

In our group, we aim to understand structural and dynamical processes at surfaces at the most fundamental level practical. We develop and use techniques that provide unique insights into the physics of these materials.

We are primarily an experimental group, but make extensive use of computational / simulation techniques to support and interpret our observations – in fact many projects have been entirely computational / theoretical.

Understanding surface structure

Miniaturized Surface Diffraction from helium

Researchers have successfully adapted helium scattering, an ultra-gentle, surface-only measurement technique, to work on a microscopic scale.

3D Maps of Delicate Surfaces Acquired by Helium Atoms

Scientists have developed "heliometric stereo," a new technique that creates quantitative 3D maps using a scanning helium microscope.

Probing surface dynamics

It takes some heat to form ice

A new study from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with the University of Surrey and Graz University of Technology (Austria), reveals that energy is needed for water to proceed through the first step of ice formation on graphene.

Following atoms in real time

Using an advanced technique called Helium Spin Echo (HeSE), researchers have measured the movement of oxygen atoms on a ruthenium metal surface at picosecond time scale

Directly Measuring How Surface Defects Affect Phonon Propagation

For the first time, researchers have directly measured how much “lifetime shortening” acoustic phonons (the primary carriers of heat) are influenced by surface defects.

Instruments

CORDE

They are great!

Scanning helium microscopy

The scanning helium microscope forms images using neutral helium atoms reflected from a surface. Because helium atoms carry no charge and very little energy, SHeM can image fragile or insulating materials without damage.

Helium spin echo

Helium spin echo spectroscopy measures atomic-scale surface dynamics with picosecond time resolution. By encoding the helium-3 atoms’ spin precession before and after scattering, it directly probes phonons, adsorbate diffusion, bound state resonances, etc.

Miniscat

Miniscat is a compact helium atom diffractometer designed to study surface order and structure. By measuring diffraction patterns of neutral helium beams, it reveals atomic-scale periodicity and adsorbate arrangements non-destructively.