The August 2008 research newsletter
Contents
- Small stuff
- GLAMM: Glasgow Materials Modelling Group
- Nobel Conference
- Former postgrad wins prize
- Next generation of hybrid lasers
- A new generation of diamond devices
Editorial
Welcome to the August 2008 research newsletter of the Department of Physics, SUPA.
A few snippets of information for you. The success rate at the last two EPSRC Chemistry Prioritisation Panels was 11% and 12%. The last two Physics panels had a rate of 21% and 14%. Materials 22% and 16%. While according to THE, the success rate with EPSRC is 47% if you are at Oxford (39% at Cambridge). Perhaps we should all move to Oxford and Cambridge with the rest of northern England?
The academic staff pages are as good as finished. Check it out for yourself and if you entry is empty send your bio and research description to the DMC. Changes and ammendments can be made at any time. Your publications and grants are pulled from the Big Brother database so make sure that your record is up to date (go here to update your publications – go to Kirsten to make sure your grants are entered correctly).
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GLAMM: Glasgow Materials Modelling Group
GLAMM brings together researchers from across the Science and Engineering Faculties at Strathclyde with shared interests in materials modelling. Our skills and capabilities lie in fundamental modelling, including: quantum and classical density functional theory, atomistic simulations using classical and semi-empirical potentials, long time-scale modelling, biomolecular modelling and coarse-graining, meso-scale modelling, finite element modelling, computational fluid dynamics, tribology, soft condensed matter and liquid crystal modelling, and continuum mechanical modelling. Our interests therefore cover the complete range of length and timescales, and as illustrated in the figure, real technological problems require this broad range of approaches.
Our current membership is drawn from the departments of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, SIPBS, and Chemical, Civil and Mechanical Engineering. Through our regular seminar series, we share expertise and experience in our complementary techniques and approaches, and we welcome collaboration with experimentalists. Material modelling both underpins and enables many emerging technologies and new industries, including engineering materials, electronic devices, and biomedical therapies. Insights, understanding and systematic design stem from theoretical modelling, and a clear modelling framework allows the exploration of new ideas and identification of critical problems, as well as the optimisation of material and device properties which would otherwise require extensive experimentation.
GLAMM members have strong international collaborations, e.g. through FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Networks, as well as active and successful links with centres including the Bremen Centre for Computational Materials Science, Tyndall Institute (Cork), and the Landau Institute (Moscow). Extensive collaborations with industry include: Dow Corning, GEC (Wembley), QinetiQ (Malvern), Sharp (Oxford Labs), Shell, Total, AWE, Air Liquide (France), Dstl (Farnborough), Corus (Sheffield), BOC Edwards, and Astra Zeneca (Loughborough) as well as charitable organisations such as Cancer Research UK.
Further information is available on our website.
If you are interested in joining GLAMM, or would like further information, please contact Paul Mulheran (paul.mulheran@strath.ac.uk, x2385) or Ben Hourahine (benjamin.hourahine@strath.ac.uk, x2325).
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Nobel Conference
Gerald Bonner recently attended the 58th Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, a small town on Lake Constance in southern Germany. The meeting brought together over 550 young scientists from around the world to meet with 24 Nobel Laureates for a week of lectures and discussions on topics ranging from Astrophysics to Biochemistry and Life as a Researcher to the Impact of Science on Society. A fourth year MSci student in the department, Gerald was one of a number of UK students whose participation in the meeting was sponsored by the Institute of Physics. He is currently spending the summer working in the Ultrafast Physics Group with Neil Hunt courtesy of competitively-awarded vacation bursaries from the Nuffield Foundation and EPSRC. [GMB NTH]
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String theorist and 2004 Nobel laureate David Gross talking to students during a boat trip to the Isle of Mainau at the 58th Nobel Laureate Meeting at Lindau.
A new generation of diamond devices
A programme for developing diamond-based technology, involving Strathclyde's Institute of Photonics, has been completed successfully. The Micromachined Diamond Device Initiative (MIDDI) was aimed at producing world-leading systems for manufacturing diamond microelectronic devices, principally for European companies. The result has been the development of a process that can be used in fabricating transistor devices.
The venture's main focus was on the development of a ‘tool-kit’ of advanced micro- and nano-scale manufacturing technologies that could be used for the development of next generation high-frequency and high-power electronic devices based on synthetic single crystal diamond. The role of the Institute of Photonics was to provide the expertise in plasma etching technology, which is used to define the precise surface features required in device fabrications.
Since it was established in 1995, the Institute has become a centre of expertise in laser and LED research. Complementing this is their ability to etch materials that have traditionally been difficult to process. The project was led by industrial diamond suppliers Element Six and was part-funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry.
Professor Martin Dawson, Associate Director of the Institute, said: "The MIDDI project has been a showcase example of how UK Universities and Industry can collaborate on successful technological development. Element Six framed the project challenge and provided advanced diamond structures with controlled doping characteristics; the University met the challenge by developing an innovative dry-etching approach that is being jointly patented. This opens the way to truly manufacturable diamond electronics but also has wider implications for a host of new technologies including diamond photonics where, with support from Element Six, the University of Strathclyde now has a significant presence.”
The project has made significant achievements, which will help Element Six support the development of active electronic devices fabricated in diamond. These include improved technology for synthesis and processing used in the production of substrates and a robust, reproducible dry-etching technology suitable for transistor device fabrication.
Christopher Ogilvie Thompson, Commercial Business Manager at Element Six, said: “These successful outcomes have already underpinned the formation of a new subsidiary by Element Six. Diamond Microwave Devices Ltd is aiming to develop the world’s first commercial high frequency, high power diamond transistors.Furthermore the technology developed under MIDDI could also be of benefit to other areas of diamond technology used in advanced applications such as radiation detectors and micro-optic devices.”
For more information contact:
John Caldwell
Corporate Communications
Element Six
Tel: 00 353 (0)61460015
Email: info@e6.com
www.e6.com
Institute of Photonics
University of Strathclyde
Wolfson Centre
106 Rottenrow
Glasgow G4 0NW
Tel: +44 141 548 4120
Fax: +44 141 552 1575
Email: info@photonics.ac.uk
www.photonics.ac.uk
Small stuff
New Grants
Brian McNeil, “McNeil Starter Grant”, Strathclyde - Faculty of Science Starter Grant, £9k, 13 May 2008 – 13 May 2010.
Daniel Oi, “Conference Grant: The 8th Asian Int Sem on Atomic and Molecular Physics”, Royal Society, £1k, 1 June 2008 – 31 December 2008.
Erling Riis, “Salary Account - Dr Paul Griffin”, EPSRC, £3.6k, 1 June 2008 – 20 June 2009.
Klaas Wynne, Jan Karolin, and David Birch, “Two-dimensional terahertz/IR spectroscopy: a unique probe of ultrafast hydrogen-bond dynamics of liquid water and model systems”, EPSRC, £623k, 1 June 2008 – 31 August 2011.
Thorsten Ackemann, Helen Fraser, and Erling Riis, “High-power CW Terahertz radiation by photomixing”, Strathclyde - Research development fund, £9k, 16 June 2008, 19 December 2008.
Neil Hunt, “Ultrafast 2D-IR Spectroscopy of Enzyme Model Systems”, Nuffield Foundation, £1.4k, 1 July 2008 – 31 October 2008.
Helen Fraser, “Mapping CO in Starless Cores”, STFC, £6.2k, 1 August 2008 – 31 October 2008.
Neil Hunt, “ERC Starting Investigator Grant (Introducing SPRITES)”, ERC (European Research Council), £787k, 1 August 2008 – 31 July 2012.
Helen Fraser, “Comparison of Gas and Solid Phase CO Distribution in Molecular Cores”, £5.4, 19 August 2008 – 19 August 2008.
Editors Choice in Science
The paper "Glasslike Behavior in Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions" Journal of Chemical Physics, Communication 128, 161102 (2008) mentioned in the previous issue has been selected Editors' Choice in the 23 May 2008 issue of the journal Science. It was also the 7th most downloaded JCP paper in May 2008. For more information, see The science of syrup and traffic jams.
Fellowship
Jenny Noble has been awarded a "Postdoctoral Fellowship (Short-term) for North American and European Researchers" from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). This Fellowship scheme is designed to encourage international collaborations with Japanese research institutions. Jenny will spend three months working with Professor Yuri Aikawa at the Center for Planetary Science, Kobe University, modeling chemical networks in interstellar molecular cores. Professor Aikawa is a renowned theoretical astrophysicist, and working with her will contribute significantly to Jenny's PhD work on 2D spectral ice mapping of molecular cores on a 1000 AU scale.
Poster prize
Congratulations to SILIS group PhD student Jordan Gallacher for winning one of the five poster prizes at this year’s University of Strathclyde Research Day. The event spanned all five faculties and more than 170 posters were presented. The subject of Jordan’s poster was the recent groundbreaking work demonstrating the first ever observation of synchrotron light using a plasma wakefield accelerator. (“A compact synchrotron radiation source driven by a laser-plasma wakefield accelerator”, Nature Physics 4, 130-133 (2008)). This cutting edge research uses high intensity (~1018 Wcm-2), ultrashort (~50 fs) laser pulses to excite relativistic plasma waves, with electric field gradients of up to 100 GV m-1 (3-4 orders of magnitude larger than conventional accelerators). These huge fields are ideal structures to accelerate electron bunches (~10 fs duration) to high energies over very small distances. This process is similar to a surfer gaining energy from an ocean wave.
Laser-driven plasma accelerators show great potential for markedly reducing the size and cost of particle accelerators and synchrotron light sources. The unique ultra-short pulses of high brightness X-rays from these devices have many potential applications as probes and imaging tools for medicine, material sciences, chemistry and many more areas.
Jordan receiving a £250 cash prize awarded by Professor Andrew Hamnett, the Principal of the University.
Another poster prize
Congratulations to BCP group PhD student Ian Stewart for winning the physics and the life sciences (PaLS) poster prize at the last SUPA meeting.
Nigel Langford "hot"
Nigel Langford received a hot chili pepper on Rate My Professors.
Neil in the movies
Neil Hunt's ERC grant featured in two University press releases: Physicists in million-euro molecular movie and Three million euros boost for engineering and science research.
Former postgrad wins prize
Iain Carrie, who took an Honours degree and PhD in Physics at Strathclyde, has been named winner of the Scottish Engineering/ Incorporation of Hammermen Award, presented annually to an outstanding graduate engineer working in Scotland's manufacturing industry.
Iain received his trophy from First Minister Alex Salmond at an awards dinner in Glasgow and earned the accolade for his work in developing thermal cameras with high-quality focus.
After graduating, Iain, 26, originally from Callander, worked as a test manager with educational software firm Crocodile Clips before joining the Glasgow site of Thales Optronics last year, as an algorithms engineer.
In his short time with Thales, Iain has already been in charge of innovative projects, including the research which won him his prize.
Next generation of hybrid lasers
Novel, compact and versatile lasers operating at visible wavelengths are the focus of a major, new £3.8 million collaboration between four institutions.The four-year project, between the Universities of Strathclyde, St Andrews and Edinburgh and Imperial College, London, will see the development of lasers, consisting of organic semiconductor structures – effectively lasing plastics - which are interfaced to control electronics via familiar blue/green light-emitting diode (LED) technology. These lasers are poised to have a major impact in areas as diverse as biosensing, communications and instrumentation.
The project is being supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The research will see close research collaboration between the departments involved: the Institute of Photonics and Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry at Strathclyde; the School of Physics & Astronomy at St Andrews; the School of Engineering and Electronics at Edinburgh, and the Department of Physics at Imperial.
Professor Martin Dawson of the University of Strathclyde, the co-ordinator of the project, said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to contribute to continued UK leadership in organic and hybrid organic/inorganic optoelectronics.Organic semiconductor lasers are very attractive new light sources for research and commercial applications, and my colleagues at Imperial College London and the University of St. Andrews have been world leaders in developing the basics of this technology. The challenge now is to produce these devices in compact and robust form under electronic control, and the collaborators in my own University and at the University of Edinburgh are perfectly placed to contribute the interfacing and complementary technologies needed.
"Our near-term goal is to produce components consisting of single-emitter organic lasers on blue LEDs in a form suitable for volume manufacture. Longer-term goals are to demonstrate optoelectronic interfaces and integrated circuits involving multiple laser and LED elements. This is a very strong partnership with an ambitious and exciting research agenda, and we look forward to major progress during the course of the grant”.
The Principal Investigators at each of the partner institutions are:
- Prof Martin Dawson, University of Strathclyde
- Prof Ifor Samuel, University of St Andrews
- Dr Robert Henderson, University of Edinburgh
- Prof Donal Bradley, Imperial College London
For further information please contact
Simon Andrews,
Business Development Manager,
Institute of Photonics,
University of Strathclyde
Direct +44 (0) 141 548 4402
Reception +44 (0) 141 548 4120
Fax +44 (0) 141 552 1575
Web www.photonics.ac.uk
email simon.andrews@strath.ac.uk
