Exploiting shear to form new structures of carbon. This project aims to create new, technologically-interesting, materials by combining shear (sliding forces) with high pressure. The work will use both modelling and experiments to understand the pathways to form new materials such as a different form of diamond that is predicted to be harder than regular diamond. Such a material could be used in coatings for cutting tools or ultra-low-scratch surfaces. Expected outcomes include both an understan ....Exploiting shear to form new structures of carbon. This project aims to create new, technologically-interesting, materials by combining shear (sliding forces) with high pressure. The work will use both modelling and experiments to understand the pathways to form new materials such as a different form of diamond that is predicted to be harder than regular diamond. Such a material could be used in coatings for cutting tools or ultra-low-scratch surfaces. Expected outcomes include both an understanding of the importance of shear in the study of high-pressure science, and as a tool to manufacture new functional materials.Read moreRead less
Electronic charge separation at polar topological defects
- photovoltaics beyond the conventional p-n junction. The recent discovery of a fundamentally different mechanism for electronic charge separation, which operates over a distance of a few nanometres and produces voltages that are significantly higher than the material bandgap has opened a new and promising research direction. This novel effect is driven by previously unobserved nanoscale steps of the electrostatic potential that naturall ....Electronic charge separation at polar topological defects
- photovoltaics beyond the conventional p-n junction. The recent discovery of a fundamentally different mechanism for electronic charge separation, which operates over a distance of a few nanometres and produces voltages that are significantly higher than the material bandgap has opened a new and promising research direction. This novel effect is driven by previously unobserved nanoscale steps of the electrostatic potential that naturally occur at ferroelectric domain walls and can be reversed in polarity or turned off. By working at the frontier of complex oxide materials science, this project aims to discover and implement new design approaches for electronic energy harvesting using nanostructured polar oxides for novel applications in optoelectronic devices.Read moreRead less