The pace of modern technological development - from microelectronics to catalysts, to coatings - is driven by fundamental breakthroughs in fabricating novel nano-structured materials. Such materials often promise unique or enhanced physical characteristics, such as strong magnetisation or unusual reactivity. These characteristics will derive from, but can also be compromised by, subtle, atomic-scale structural variations. In each case, nano-resolved characterization is essential and full understanding of a material demands multiple state-of-the-art experimental probes. The probes used in my research include beams of electrons, atoms, ions, and photons, as well as physical devices such as the tip of an atomic force microscope. Each probe has its advantages and its limitations and the best studies of nanostructured material combine the results from several probes in order to develop a complete description.

A selection of my recent projects is given below. The uppermost projects derive from my time in Glasgow, whilst some of those below are based on collaboration with colleagues in Cambridge, where more information can be found.

• Pulsed Laser Deposition
• Nanoparticle characterization
• Structural characterization of nanomaterials
• Analytical electron microscopy
• X-ray spectroscopy
• Atom interferometry
• Development of Scanning Helium Microscopy
• Studies of thin film growth
• Medium energy ion scattering
• Gas detection via field ionisation from carbon nanotubes

Nanoparticle Characterization

Nanoparticles - particles of material only a few nanometres in dimension - are now being used in a tremendous range of modern applications, from bio-medical imaging and cell-labelling to advanced data storage design. I'm involved in a number of nanoparticle studies, principally using electron microscopy to image and analyse the nanoparticle structure in order to improve their design. One collaboration with the Nanocolloids group of the University of St. Andrews has led to an improved understanding of the low-temperature syntheses of FePt nanoparticles, which can be prepared with excellent size monodispersity and high magnetic coercivity. A second collaboration, with Mark Murrie's Molecular Magnetism group (Glasgow), is concentrating on iron-oxide nanoparticles for healthcare applications. Publications: 32, 34.