Research

At the Centre for Materials Physics we cover a wide range of topics and employ a wide variety of different experimental methods. In-house these include optical, x-ray, electrical, and static and dynamic magnetic techniques. We also are users of large international central facilities including synchrotron and neutron radiation sources and muon spectroscopy. Theoretical work, often in close collaboration with experiment, is also a vital aspect of materials physics and in Durham studies include complex fluid flow, ab initio molecular and crystal properties modelling and the theory of photonic microstructures. Experiments and computational simulations are supported by state of the art equipment based in the Department, including femtosecond lasers, scanning probe microscopes, SQUID magnetometers, a range of cryostats (300 mK to 1000 K), magnets (up to 17 T) and a supercomputer cluster.