Our research

The Applied Physics Research Group is a multi-faceted research group operating at the forefront of several technologies and research fields including nanotechnology, magnetism, spin electronics, self-assembly, cleaner energy technologies, surface science, conducting oxides, the transport and magneto-transport properties of thin films and low dimensional entities (nanowires), and advanced instrumentation.

The group has research and office space in the Fitzgerald Building (old Physics Building), the SNIAM Building and CRANN, housed in the Naughton Institute. Click here for the location of our labs and offices (PDF, 251 KB).

Our major research project at the moment involves the growth of planar arrays of regular, well-ordered nanowires via our proprietary Atomic Terrace Low Angle Shadowing (ATLAS) technique.

Other research themes include investigations of various conducting oxide surfaces and their use as templates for the self-assembly of nanoscale entities, including nanowires. Such surface investigations are conducted using either our home built Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy (STM) instruments or our newly acquired Low-Temperature Scanning Tunnelling Microscope (LT-STM). We also use our STM to fabricate and investigate a model dilute magnetic semiconductor system.

At present our Cleaner Energy Lab is investigating advanced materials for use in the solar and automotive industries. This work is of a very applied nature and hopefully the subject of several patent applications.