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Dr. Cormac Mc Guinness
Associate Professor, Physics

Biography

Born in Dublin. Schooled at Oatlands College CBS Stillorgan. Educated in UCD. Obtained Doctorate in UCD. Postdoctoral research in DCU and UCD. Lecturing position in UCD. Postdoctoral research in Boston University. Research Associate Professor in Boston University. Appointed Lecturer in TCD, later obtaining a permanent position. Now an Assistant Professor. Married with two daughters.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tyndall D., Jaskaniec S., Shortall B., Roy A., Gannon L., O'Neill K., Browne M.P., Coelho J., McGuinness C., Duesberg G.S., Nicolosi V., Postsynthetic treatment of nickel"iron layered double hydroxides for the optimum catalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction, npj 2D Materials and Applications, 5, (1), 2021 Journal Article, 2021 DOI

William M. Abbott, Christopher P. Murray, Sorcha Ní Lochlainn, Frank Bello, Chuan Zhong, Christopher Smith, Eoin K. McCarthy, Clive Downing, Dermot Daly, Amanda K. Petford-Long, Cormac McGuinness, Igor Igorovich Chunin, John F. Donegan, and David McCloskey, Comparison of Metal Adhesion Layers for Au Films in Thermoplasmonic Applications, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 12, (11), 2020, p13503 - 13509 Journal Article, 2020 URL DOI

Abbott, W.M. and Murray, C.P. and Bello, F. and Zhong, C. and Smith, C. and McGuinness, C. and Mamyraimov, D. and Petford-Long, A.K. and McCloskey, D. and Donegan, J.F., Combining Sub-nanometer Adhesion and Capping Layers for Thermally Stable Nanometer-Thick Au Films, ACS Applied Nano Materials, 3, (11), 2020, p10628-10633 Journal Article, 2020 DOI

Doyle, Catherine M. and McGuinness, Cormac and Lawless, Anna P. and Preobrajenski, Alexei B. and Vinogradov, Nikolay A. and Cafolla, Attilio A., Surface Mediated Synthesis of 2D Covalent Organic Networks: 1,3,5-Tris(4-bromophenyl)benzene on Au(111), PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, 256, (2, SI), 2019 Journal Article, 2019 DOI

Abbott, W.M. and Murray, C.P. and Zhong, C. and Smith, C. and McGuinness, C. and Rezvani, E. and Downing, C. and Daly, D. and Petford-Long, A.K. and Bello, F. and McCloskey, D. and Donegan, J.F., Less is more: Improved thermal stability and plasmonic response in Au films via the use of SubNanometer Ti Adhesion Layers, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 11, (7), 2019, p7607-7614 Journal Article, 2019 DOI

Das, Pranab Kumar and Slawinska, Jagoda and Vobornik, Ivana and Fujii, Jun and Regoutz, Anna and Kahk, Juhan M. and Scanlon, David O. and Morgan, Benjamin J. and McGuinness, Cormac and Plekhanov, Evgeny and Di Sante, Domenico and Huang, Ying-Sheng and Chen, Ruei-San and Rossi, Giorgio and Picozzi, Silvia and Branford, William R. and Panaccione, Giancarlo and Payne, David J., Role of spin-orbit coupling in the electronic structure of IrO2, PHYSICAL REVIEW MATERIALS, 2, (6), 2018 Journal Article, 2018 DOI

Jadwiszczak, J. and O'Callaghan, C. and Zhou, Y. and Fox, D.S. and Weitz, E. and Keane, D. and Cullen, C.P. and O'Reilly, I. and Downing, C. and Shmeliov, A. and Maguire, P. and Gough, J.J. and McGuinness, C. and Ferreira, M.S. and Bradley, A.L. and Boland, J.J. and Duesberg, G.S. and Nicolosi, V. and Zhang, H., Oxide-mediated recovery of field-effect mobility in plasma-treated MoS2, Science Advances, 4, (3), 2018, peaao5031- Journal Article, 2018 DOI

Xin Chen, David McAteer, Cormac McGuinness, Ian Godwin, Jonathan N. Coleman, Aidan R. McDonald, RuII Photosensitizer-Functionalized Two-Dimensional MoS2 for Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution, Chemistry - A European Journal, 24, (2), 2018, p351--355 Journal Article, 2018 TARA - Full Text DOI

Jakub Jadwiszczak, Colin O'Callaghan, Yangbo Zhou, Daniel S Fox, Eamonn Weitz, Darragh Keane, Conor P. Cullen, Ian O'Reilly, Clive Downing, Aleksey Shmeliov, Pierce Maguire, John J. Gough , Cormac McGuinness , Mauro S. Ferreira, A. Louise Bradley , John J. Boland, Georg S. Duesberg, Valeria Nicolosi & Hongzhou Zhang, Oxide-mediated recovery of field effect mobility in plasma-treated MoS2, Science Advances, 4, (2), 2018, peaao5031- Journal Article, 2018 DOI TARA - Full Text URL

McGilp, John and McGuinness, Cormac and Patterson, Charles, Optics of Surfaces and Interfaces PREFACE, PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI B-BASIC SOLID STATE PHYSICS, 255, (4), 2018 Journal Article, 2018 DOI

Chen, Xin and McAteer, David and McGuinness, Cormac and Godwin, Ian and Coleman, Jonathan N. and McDonald, Aidan R., Ru-II Photosensitizer-Functionalized Two-Dimensional MoS2 for Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution, CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL, 24, (2), 2018, p351-355 Journal Article, 2018 DOI

Simonov K. A, Generalov A. V, Vinogradov A. S, Svirskiy G. I, Cafolla A. A, McGuinness C, Taketsugu T, Lyalin A, Mårtensson N, Preobrajenski A. B, Synthesis of armchair graphene nanoribbons from the 10,10′-dibromo-9,9′-bianthracene molecules on Ag(111): the role of organometallic intermediates, Scientific Reports, 8, (1), 2018, p3506- Journal Article, 2018 URL DOI TARA - Full Text

Duignan, M.J., Cunniffe, J.P., Glans, P.-A., (...), Mcguinness, C., Mcgilp, J.F. , Temperature dependent studies of capped magnetic nanowires using XMCD, physica status solidi (b), 253, (2), 2016, p241-246 Journal Article, 2016 DOI

Pokle A, Coelho J, Macguire E, Downing C, Casey P, Park S.H, McGuinness C, Nicolosi V, EELS probing of lithium based 2-D battery compounds processed by liquid phase exfoliation, Nano Energy, 30, 2016, p18 - 26 Journal Article, 2016 DOI URL

E. Norton, L. Farrell, S. D. Callaghan, C. McGuinness, I. V. Shvets and K. Fleischer, X-ray spectroscopic studies of the electronic structure of chromium-based p-type transparent conducting oxides, Physical Review B, 93, 2016, p115302- Journal Article, 2016 URL TARA - Full Text

Barrier, E., Braz Fernandes, F.M., Bujan, M., (...), Stangl, J., Zanotti, G., The benefit of the European User Community from transnational access to national radiation facilities, Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 21, (3), 2014, p638-639 Journal Article, 2014 TARA - Full Text DOI

Nolan H, McEvoy N, Keeley GP, Callaghan SD, McGuinness C, Duesberg GS, Nitrogen-doped pyrolytic carbon films as highly electrochemically active electrodes., Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP, 15, (42), 2013, p18688-18693 Journal Article, 2013 DOI TARA - Full Text

Krishnamurthy, S., Kennedy, B., Mcgee, F., Venkatesan, M., Coey, J.M.D., Lunney, J.G., Learmonth, T., (...), Mcguinness, C., Resonant soft X-ray emission and X-ray absorption studies on Ga1-xMnxN grown by pulsed laser deposition, Physica Status Solidi (C) Current Topics in Solid State Physics, 8, (5), 2011, p1608-1610 Journal Article, 2011 DOI

J. P. Cunniffe, D. E. McNally, M. Liberati, E. Arenholz, C. McGuinness, and J. F. McGilp, X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and reflection anisotropy spectroscopy Kerr effect studies of capped magnetic nanowires, Physica Status Solidi B, 247, (8), 2010, p2108 - 2112 Journal Article, 2010

L. F. J. Piper, S. W. Cho, Y. Zhang, A. DeMasi, K. E. Smith, A. Y. Matsuura and C. McGuinness, Soft x-ray spectroscopy study of the element and orbital contributions to the electronic structure of copper hexadecafluoro-phthalocyanine, Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 81, (4), 2010, p045201:1 - 045201:13 Journal Article, 2010 URL TARA - Full Text

B. N. Holland, N. Peltekis, T. Farrelly, R. G. Wilks, G. Gavrila, D. R. T. Zahn, C. McGuinness, I. T. McGovern, NEXAFS studies of copper phthaloyanine on Ge(001)-2 × 1 and Ge(111)-c(2 × 8) surfaces, physica status solidi (b), 246, (7), 2009, p1546 - 1551 Journal Article, 2009

B. N. Holland, G. Gavrila, D. R. T. Zahn, A A Cafolla, C. McGuinness, and I. T. McGovern, Adsorption of lead phthalocyanine on the hydrogen-passivated Ge(001)-2x1 surface, physica status solidi (c), 7, (2), 2009, p218 - 221 Journal Article, 2009 DOI

T. Learmonth, C. McGuinness, P.-A. Glans, B. Kennedy, J. St.John, J.-H. Guo, M. Greenblatt, K. E. Smith, Resonant Soft X-Ray Inelastic Scattering and Soft X-Ray Emission Study of the Electronic Structure of alpha-MoO3, Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 79, 2009, p035110 - 035110-8 Journal Article, 2009 DOI TARA - Full Text

N. Peltekis, B. N. Holland, S. Krishnamurthy, I. T. McGovern, N. R. J. Poolton, S. Patel, and C. McGuinness, Electronic and Optical Properties of Magnesium Phthalocyanine (MgPc) Solid Films Studied by Soft X-Ray Excited Optical Luminescence and X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopies, Journal of American Chemical Society, 130, (39), 2008, p13008 - 13012 Journal Article, 2008

Banahan, C. and McGuinness, C. and Costello, J. T. and Kilbane, D. and Mosnier, J-P and Kennedy, E. T. and O'Sullivan, G. and van Kampen, P., The 5d photoabsorption spectra of PbIII and BiIV, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 41, (20), 2008 Journal Article, 2008 DOI

N. Peltekis, B.N. Holland, L.F.J. Piper, A. DeMasi, K.E. Smith, J.E. Downes, I.T. McGovern, C. McGuinness, The local electronic structure of tin phthalocyanine studied by resonant soft X-ray emission spectroscopies, Applied Surface Science, 255, (3), 2008, p764 - 766 Journal Article, 2008

Learmonth, T. and Glans, P-A and McGuinness, C. and Plucinski, L. and Zhang, Y. and Guo, J-H and Greenblatt, M. and Smith, K. E., Electronic structure of the 1D conductor K0.3MoO3 studied using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and soft X-ray emission spectroscopy, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS-CONDENSED MATTER, 20, (41), 2008 Journal Article, 2008 DOI

DeMasi, A. and Piper, L. F. J. and Zhang, Y. and Reid, I. and Wang, S. and Smith, K. E. and Downes, J. E. and Peltekis, N. and McGuinness, C. and Matsuura, A., Electronic structure of the organic semiconductor Alq(3) (aluminum tris-8-hydroxyquinoline) from soft x-ray spectroscopies and density functional theory calculations, JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS, 129, (22), 2008 Journal Article, 2008 DOI

B.N. Holland, G. Cabailh, N. Peltekis, C. McGuinness, A.A. Cafolla, I.T. McGovern, Arrangement of metal phthalocyanines on Ge (0 0 1) 2 x 1 surfaces, Applied Surface Science, 255, (3), 2008, p775 - 777 Journal Article, 2008

Learmonth, T. and McGuinness, C. and Glans, P.-A. and Downes, J. E. and Schmitt, T. and Duda, L.-C. and Guo, J.-H. and Chou, F. C. and Smith, K. E., Observation of multiple Zhang-Rice excitations in a correlated solid: Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering study of Li2CuO2, EPL, 79, (4), 2007 Journal Article, 2007 DOI

Zhang, Yufeng and Downes, James E. and Wang, Shancai and Learmonth, Timothy and Plucinski, Lukasz and Matsuura, A. Y. and McGuinness, Cormac and Glans, Per-Anders and Bernardis, Sarah and O'Donnell, Cian and Smith, Kevin E., Electronic structure in thin film organic semiconductors studied using soft X-ray emission and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, THIN SOLID FILMS, 515, (2), 2006, p394-400 Journal Article, 2006 DOI

S. Krishnamurthy, C. McGuinness, L. S. Dorneles, M. Venkatesan, J. M. D. Coey, J. G. Lunney, C. H. Patterson, K. E. Smith, T. Learmonth, P.A. Glans, T. Schmitt, J.-H. Guo, Soft x-ray spectroscopic investigation of ferromagnetic Co-doped ZnO, Journal of Applied Physics, 99, (08M111), 2006, p1 - 3 Journal Article, 2006 TARA - Full Text DOI

G. Cabailh, B.N. Holland, C. Stephens, I.T. McGovern, C. McGuinness, A. Cafolla, A.R. Vearey-Roberts and D.A. Evans, Soft X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of metal-phthalocyanines on the (001) surface of GaAs and Ge, Journal de Physique IV, 132, 2006, p11 - 15 Journal Article, 2006 URL

Nicolosi V, Vrbanic D, Mrzel A, McCauley J, O'Flaherty S, McGuinness C, Compagnini G, Mihailovic D, Blau WJ, Coleman JN, Solubility of Mo6S4.5I4.5 nanowires in common solvents: A sedimentation study, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 109, (15), 2005, p7124 - 7133 Journal Article, 2005 DOI

Cormac McGuinness, James E. Downes, Paul Sheridan, P.-A. Glans, Kevin E. Smith, W. Si, Peter D. Johnson, X-ray spectroscopic study of the electronic structure of the high-dielectric-constant material CaCu3Ti4O12, Physical Review B, 71, (19), 2005, p195111 - 195111-9 Journal Article, 2005 TARA - Full Text URL

Valla, T and Fedorov, AV and Johnson, PD and Glans, PA and McGuinness, C and Smith, KE and Andrei, EY and Berger, H, Quasiparticle spectra, charge-density waves, superconductivity, and electron-phonon coupling in 2H-NbSe2, PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, 92, (8), 2004 Journal Article, 2004 DOI

Glans PA, Learmonth T, McGuinness C, Smith KE, Guo JH, Walsh A, Watson GW, Egdell RG, On the involvement of the shallow core 5d level in the bonding in HgO, CHEMICAL PHYSICS LETTERS, 399, (1-3), 2004, p98 - 101 Journal Article, 2004

Downes, JE and McGuinness, C and Glans, PA and Learmonth, T and Fu, DF and Sheridan, P and Smith, KE, Electronic structure near the Fermi level of the organic semiconductor copper phthalocyanine, CHEMICAL PHYSICS LETTERS, 390, (1-3), 2004, p203-207 Journal Article, 2004 DOI

McGuinness, C and Fu, DF and Downes, JE and Smith, KE and Hughes, G and Roche, J, Electronic structure of thin film silicon oxynitrides measured using soft x-ray emission and absorption, JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, 94, (6), 2003, p3919-3922 Journal Article, 2003 DOI

McGuinness, C and Dowries, JE and Ryan, P and Smith, KE and Doppalapudi, D and Moustakas, TD, X-ray spectroscopic studies of the bulk electronic structure of InGaN alloys, GAN AND RELATED ALLOYS-2002, 506 KEYSTONE DRIVE, WARRENDALE, PA 15088-7563 USA, edited by Wetzel, C and Yu, ET and Speck, JS and Arakawa, Y , 743, (BW93L), MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY, 2003, pp621-626 Conference Paper, 2003

Smith, KE and McGuinness, C and Downes, J and Ryan, P and Fu, DF and Hulbert, SL and Honig, JM and Egdell, R, Soft X-ray emission and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering studies of transition metal oxides, SOLID-STATE CHEMISTRY OF INORGANIC MATERIALS IV, 506 KEYSTONE DRIVE, WARRENDALE, PA 15088-7563 USA, edited by AlarioFranco, MA and Greenblatt, M and Rohrer, G and Whittingham, MS , 755, (BX53X), MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY, 2003, pp3-12 Conference Paper, 2003

McGuinness, C and Stagarescu, CB and Ryan, PJ and Downes, JE and Fu, DF and Smith, KE and Egdell, RG, Influence of shallow core-level hybridization on the electronic structure of post-transition-metal oxides studied using soft X-ray emission and absorption, PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 68, (16), 2003 Journal Article, 2003 DOI

Schmitt, T and Duda, LC and Augustsson, A and Guo, JH and Nordgren, J and Downes, JE and McGuinness, C and Smith, KE and Dhalenne, G and Revcolevshci, A and Klemm, M and Horn, S, Resonant soft X-ray emission spectroscopy of V2O3, VO2 and NaV2O5, SURFACE REVIEW AND LETTERS, 9, (2), 2002, p1369-1374 Journal Article, 2002 DOI

Neogi, A and Martins, M and McGuinness, C and O'Sullivan, G and Kennedy, ET and Mosnier, JP and van Kampen, P and Costello, JT, Vacuum-ultraviolet absorption spectrum of the Rb2+ ion in a laser generated plasma, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 35, (5), 2002, p1329-1335 Journal Article, 2002

Ryan, P and McGuinness, C and Downes, JE and Smith, KE and Doppalapudi, D and Moustakas, TD, Band-gap evolution, hybridization, and thermal stability of InxGa1-xN alloys measured by soft X-ray emission and absorption, PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 65, (20), 2002 Journal Article, 2002 DOI

Kilbane, D and Cummings, A and McGuinness, C and Murphy, N and O'Sullivan, G, 4f collapse, level density inflation and the emergence of `compound-like' atomic states in rare earth ions, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 35, (2), 2002, p309-321 Journal Article, 2002 DOI

McGuinness, C and Smith, KE and Butorin, SM and Guo, JH and Nordgren, J and Vogt, T and Schneider, G and Reilly, J and Tu, JJ and Johnson, PD and Shuh, DK, High-resolution X-ray emission and absorption study of the B 2p valence band electronic structure of MgB2, EUROPHYSICS LETTERS, 56, (1), 2001, p112-118 Journal Article, 2001 DOI

Cummings, A and McGuinness, C and O'Sullivan, G and Costello, JT and Mosnier, JP and Kennedy, ET, Wave-function collapse with increasing ionization: 4d photoabsorption of Cs through Cs4+, PHYSICAL REVIEW A, 63, (2), 2001 Journal Article, 2001 DOI

Neogi, A and Kennedy, ET and Mosnier, JP and van Kampen, P and Costello, JT and McGuinness, C and O'Sullivan, G, Vacuum-ultraviolet absorption spectrum of the Rb+ ion in a laser-generated plasma, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 34, (20), 2001, pL651-L656 Journal Article, 2001 DOI

Ryan, P and Chao, YC and Downes, J and McGuinness, C and Smith, KE and Sampath, AV and Moustakas, TD, Surface electronic structure of p-type GaN(0001), SURFACE SCIENCE, 467, (1-3), 2000, pL827-L833 Journal Article, 2000 DOI

Duda, LC and Downes, J and McGuinness, C and Schmitt, T and Augustsson, A and Smith, KE and Dhalenne, G and Revcolevschi, A, Bandlike and excitonic states of oxygen in CuGeO3: Observation using polarized resonant soft-x-ray emission spectroscopy, PHYSICAL REVIEW B, 61, (6), 2000, p4186-4189 Journal Article, 2000 DOI

Meighan, O and Danson, C and Dardis, L and Lewis, CLS and MacPhee, A and McGuinness, C and O'Rourke, R and Shaikh, W and Turcu, ICE and Costello, JT, Application of a picosecond laser plasma continuum light source to a dual-laser plasma photoabsorption experiment, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 33, (6), 2000, p1159-1168 Journal Article, 2000 DOI

D'Arcy, R and Costello, JT and Kennedy, ET and McGuinness, C and Mosnier, JP and O'Sullivan, G, The evolution of 4d photoabsorption in Sb with increasing ionization, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 33, (7), 2000, p1383-1401 Journal Article, 2000 DOI

McGuinness, C and Martins, M and van Kampen, P and Hirsch, J and Kennedy, ET and Mosnier, JP and Whitty, WW and Costello, JT, Vacuum-UV absorption spectrum of a laser-produced chromium plasma: 3p-subshell photoabsorption by Cr2+ ions, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 33, (22), 2000, p5077-5090 Journal Article, 2000 DOI

Murphy, N and Costello, JT and Kennedy, ET and McGuinness, C and Mosnier, JP and Weinmann, B and O'Sullivan, G, Discrete structure in the 4d photoabsorption spectrum of tellurium and its ions, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 32, (15), 1999, p3905-3922 Journal Article, 1999 DOI

O'Sullivan, G and Carroll, PK and Dunne, P and Faulkner, R and McGuinness, C and Murphy, N, Supercomplex spectra and continuum emission from rare-earth ions: Sm, a case study, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 32, (8), 1999, p1893-1922 Journal Article, 1999 DOI

Obst, B and Benten, W and von dem Borne, A and Costello, J and Dardis, L and Gerth, C and Glatzel, P and Gray, A and Hansen, JE and Meighan, O and Kennedy, E and McGuinness, C and Sonntag, B and Verweyen, A and Wernet, P and Zimmermann, P, High resolution spectroscopy of 2p(6) -> 2p(5)3d resonantly excited atomic Ca, JOURNAL OF ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY AND RELATED PHENOMENA, 101, (SI), 1999, p39-42 Journal Article, 1999 DOI

Kennedy, ET and Costello, JT and Gray, A and McGuinness, C and Mosnier, JP and van Kampen, P, New dual laser plasma investigations of inner-shell excitations, JOURNAL OF ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY AND RELATED PHENOMENA, 101, (SI), 1999, p161-166 Journal Article, 1999 DOI

McGuinness, C and Martins, M and Wernet, P and Sonntag, BF and van Kampen, P and Mosnier, JP and Kennedy, ET and Costello, JT, Metastable state contributions to the measured 3p photoabsorption spectrum of Cr+ ions in a laser-produced plasma, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 32, (20), 1999, pL583-L591 Journal Article, 1999 DOI

D'Arcy, R and Costello, JT and McGuinness, C and O'Sullivan, G, Discrete structure in the 4d photoabsorption spectrum of antimony and its ions, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 32, (20), 1999, p4859-4876 Journal Article, 1999 DOI

Costello, JT and Kennedy, ET and Mosnier, JP and Sayyad, MH and McGuinness, C, Extreme-UV photoabsorption spectrum of a laser-produced silicon plasma: Evidence for metastable Si+ ions, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 31, (13), 1998, pL547-L552 Journal Article, 1998 DOI

McGuinness, C and Bell, KL and Hibbert, A, K-shell photoionization cross section of carbon IV, JOURNAL OF PHYSICS B-ATOMIC MOLECULAR AND OPTICAL PHYSICS, 30, (1), 1997, p59-67 Journal Article, 1997 DOI

OSullivan, G and McGuinness, C and Costello, JT and Kennedy, ET and Weinmann, B, Trends in 4d-subshell photoabsorption along the iodine isonuclear sequence: I, I+, and I2+, PHYSICAL REVIEW A, 53, (5), 1996, p3211-3226 Journal Article, 1996 DOI

Berg, LE and Ekvall, K and Hishikawa, A and Kelly, S and McGuinness, C, Laser spectroscopy of SrH. Time-resolved measurements of the A(2)Pi state, CHEMICAL PHYSICS LETTERS, 255, (4-6), 1996, p419-424 Journal Article, 1996 DOI

MCGUINNESS, C and OSULLIVAN, G and CARROLL, PK and AUDLEY, D and MANSFIELD, MWD, 3D ABSORPTION-SPECTRA OF SR-I THROUGH SR-IV, PHYSICAL REVIEW A, 51, (3), 1995, p2053-2062 Journal Article, 1995 DOI

OSULLIVAN, G and CARROLL, PK and CONWAY, J and DUNNE, P and FAULKNER, R and MCCORMACK, T and MCGUINNESS, C and VAN KAMPEN, P and WEINMANN, B, EXTREME-ULTRAVIOLET CONTINUUM EMISSION FROM LASER-GENERATED PLASMAS AND APPLICATIONS TO SPECTROSCOPY, OPTICAL ENGINEERING, 33, (12), 1994, p3993-3998 Journal Article, 1994 DOI

Research Expertise

Description

In my research I apply x-ray spectroscopic techniques to investigate electronic structure, where the key aspect of these studies and of all my research output has been combining experimental and theoretical understanding of the systems to a great depth. I and my current students presently work on on-surface synthesis of covalently bonded organic molecular networks and novel functional one-dimensional organic nanostructures investigated through synchrotron-based x-ray spectroscopy. I am successful through peer review of my proposals in obtaining synchrotron facility time for these investigations at MAX-IV/MaxLab(Sweden), BESSY-II(Germany), and for earlier studies at NSLS(USA), ALS(USA), SLS(Switzerland), and Daresbury(UK) synchrotrons. An informed critical evaluation of my best research output would reveal a meticulous understanding of the relevant electronic structure whether in organic semiconductors, phthalocyanines, porphyrins, wide-bandgap nitrides, wide-bandgap/metallic oxides, doped magnetic semiconductors, transition metal oxides, highly correlated electron systems with metal-insulator transitions, superconductivity, as well as ionised atomic species in my early career. I have employed x-ray spectroscopic tools XPS, XAS/NEXAFS, XES/RIXS, XMCD, RAS-MOKE and ARPES to probe or measure site-specific, symmetry-, state- and polarisation-dependent electronic structure of e.g. transition metal oxides and chemical bonds between ligand and oxygen in these oxides as well as of organic molecular semiconductors, phthalocyanines and smaller molecules, whether thin films or monolayers, and magnetic systems like self-assembled one-dimensional atomic-width cobalt nanowires on vicinal surfaces and their changed magnetic behaviour upon gold capping. Whether atoms, molecules, or solids, my simulation of electronic structure of these materials is key to my holistic approach encompassing VB DOS/VBXPS, XES/RIXS, and XAS/NEXAFS simulated via density-functional theory (DFT) methods Wien2K (oxides) and StoBe codes (molecules); or Cowan code (atoms) [in my early career]; and (Cowan-derived) atomic-multiplet methods for resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) and XAS/XPS at metal 2p core levels. I believe the research highlights that best embodies this approach have certainly warranted promotion to Associate Professor before now.

Projects

  • Title
    • Novel element-selective symmetry, polarisation and state resolved investigations of chemical bonding
  • Summary
    • No topic is more fundamental to Chemistry than the nature of the chemical bond. In crystalline solids, the chemical bond gives rise to the electronic bandstructure of the material, this then determines whether the material is a metal, semiconductor, semi-metal, etc.; it determines the optical characteristics, the transport properties and the usefulness of any given crystalline solid. Novel x-ray spectroscopic techniques are now available to probe the electronic structure of crystalline solids, element-by-element and even state-by-state. These synchrotron radiation based methods will be applied to a particular class of crystalline solids to study more fully their basic electronic structure. The electronic structure of a class of crystalline solids will be investigated through a novel application of polarisation dependent synchrotron radiation based resonant soft x-ray emission spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopies to obtain element specific, symmetry and state selective measurements of the occupied partial density of states or occupied molecular orbitals of these solids. Systematic investigations of the chemical bonding in these rutile systems can thus be carried out and compared to electronic bandstructure calculations. Opportunities then exist to examine the bonding within these systems to alternative transition metals substitutionally doped onto the cation sites in these rutile systems. This project is in collaboration with Prof. Graeme Watson of the School of Chemistry and Prof. Russell Egdell, of the Chemistry Department, University of Oxford.
  • Funding Agency
    • Science Foundation Ireland
  • Date From
    • September 2007
  • Date To
    • August 2010
  • Title
    • X-ray magnetic dichroism of nanoscale magnetism in atomic wires protected by capping layers
  • Summary
    • Progress in ICT is driven by making electronic and magnetic devices with ever smaller active regions producing faster, more efficient devices. Single atomic wires of cobalt, possessing unusual magnetic properties, have been successfully grown on single crystal platinum surfaces. To be useful, these nanowires must be capped by ultra-thin films protecting them from contamination. The interfacial region formed by capping these nanoscale magnetic structures can enhance their magnetic properties, as measured by optical laser-interface interactions. These enhanced magnetic properties will be studied by x-ray based magnetic-spectroscopic imaging techniques and will allow for magnetic tuning of devices based on these wires. Atomic wires of cobalt, possessing unusual magnetic properties, have been successfully grown on platinum single crystal surfaces but, to be useful, such nanowires must be capped by ultra-thin films to protect them from contamination. The interfacial region formed by capping will affect the properties of these nanoscale magnetic structures; for certain capping layers and thicknesses enhanced Curie temperatures are expected. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectromicroscopy will be used to probe the magnetisation of these atomic wires on an element and electronic orbital specific basis, to complement and extend new non-linear magneto-optic studies of the same advanced materials. This project is in collaboration with John McGilp of the School of Physics
  • Funding Agency
    • Science Foundation Ireland
  • Date From
    • September 2007
  • Date To
    • August 2010
  • Title
    • Synchrotron X-ray Spectroscopic Investigations of Electronic Structure in Organic Semiconductors
  • Summary
    • Organic molecular semiconductor materials are of increasing technological importance. Ultrathin pure films of organic molecular semiconductors can be created by organic molecular beam deposition. The electronic structure of organic molecular semiconductors is generally studied by photoemission spectroscopy, especially using synchrotron radiation. Additionally, synchrotron based soft x-ray emission spectroscopy and its resonant counterpart provides another powerful investigative tool. It is proposed to combine these two regimes in a multi-technique, multi-theme investigation of the metal-phthalocyanine family of organic semiconductors. The themes include, energetics, beam damage, growth modes and interfacial reaction/interaction. Specific attention is paid to a comparison of electron-emission and photon-absorption/emission methods. This project is in collaborations with Prof. I. T. McGovern of the School of Physics.
  • Funding Agency
    • Science Foundation Ireland
  • Date From
    • October 2004
  • Date To
    • October 2007
  • Title
    • Soft x-ray spectroscopic investigations of dilute magnetic semiconductors
  • Summary
    • Dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) materials for use in functional room temperature magnetic semiconductor devices are being actively developed. Detailed knowledge of their electronic and magnetic structure is urgently needed. This can be obtained through the use of soft x-ray synchrotron radiation based spectroscopic techniques which are especially useful due to their elemental selectivity. The proposal seeks to apply these techniques to a number of DMS materials, specifically transition metal doped semiconductor oxides and nitrides such as Co-doped ZnO, Co-doped SnO2 and Mn-doped GaN and AlN. Thin films of these DMS materials are being grown by pulsed laser deposition. The quality and observed ferromagnetic moments of these films are critically sensitive to growth conditions during deposition, as is the observed electronic structure. In Co-doped ZnO these phenomena, including magnetism, are directly linked to oxygen vacancies. This can be verified by studying their electronic structure by element-specific soft x-ray spectroscopy. Correlation between observed electronic structure, measured magnetic moment & growth conditions will give insight into producing better thin film ferromagnetic semiconductors. Further, the application of these techniques may help address the question of the detailed physical origin of magnetism in these dilute magnetic semiconductors, a matter of some controversy.
  • Funding Agency
    • Enterprise Ireland
  • Date From
    • 01-05-2006
  • Date To
    • 30-04-2007
  • Title
    • Soft x-ray spectroscopic investigations of transition metal oxide and nitride magnetic semiconductors
  • Summary
    • Candidate materials for functional room temperature magnetic semiconductor devices are currently being actively developed and detailed knowledge of the electronic and magnetic structure of these candidate materials is needed. This information can be obtained through the use of spectroscopic techniques where synchrotron radiation based techniques are especially useful due to their elemental selectivity. This proposed collaboration seeks to apply these synchrotron radiation based techniques to a number of these materials, specifically transition metal doped semiconductor oxides such as Co-doped ZnO and Co-doped SnO2. Two other materials, HfO2 and CaB6, will also be targeted as thin films of these materials unexpectedly exhibit magnetic behaviour even though nominally they are d0 materials. The techniques applied to investigate these materials will be soft x-ray emission spectroscopy, x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and their resonant counterparts to elucidate the electronic structure. It is anticipated that x-ray magnetic circular dichroism will also be applied to measure the spin and orbital moments of the constituent elements within the materials. Information obtained from such measurements will help confirm theoretical models and also elucidate current questions regarding the roles of dopants and non-magnetic elements in their magnetic behaviour. This project is a collaborative investigation with Prof. K. E. Smith of Boston University.
  • Funding Agency
    • Enterprise Ireland
  • Date From
    • June 2005
  • Date To
    • April 2006
  • Title
    • Soft x-ray emission studies of transition metal oxides and organic semiconductors
  • Summary
    • We propose to use synchrotron radiation based soft x-ray emission (SXE) spectroscopy to investigate the valence band electronic structure of two materials: Li2CuO2 and copper-phthalocyanine (Cu-Pc). The transition metal oxide, Li2CuO2, is an edge-sharing 1D chain compound, with many properties in common with other Cu-O compounds. These systems exhibit low energy electronic excitations in which there is currently great interest. Their excitation spectrum can be probed through application of resonant SXE to obtain the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectrum revealing d-d and Zhang-Rice singlet excitations. This can provide more information on Zhang-Rice singlets which are an important exchange mechanism within Cu-O systems. Secondly, application of the techniques of resonant SXE and soft x-ray absorption to organic semiconductor systems can yield detailed information on their highest occupied (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied (LUMO) molecular orbitals respectively. Fundamental information concerning the HOMO and LUMO of organic semiconductors is often either absent or incomplete and yet they determine the usefulness of a given material as an organic based electronic device. Undoped and doped Cu-Pc with other phthalocyanine organic semiconductors will be studied by this programme to provide such information. This is a collaboration with Prof. K. E. Smith of Boston University
  • Funding Agency
    • Enterprise Ireland
  • Date From
    • July 2004
  • Date To
    • May 2005

Keywords

Condensed Matter; Experimental Physics; Magnetism and spin electronics; Molecular electronics; Organic Coatings; PHOTOELECTRON-SPECTROSCOPY; Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering; Solid State Physics; Spectroscopy; Surface and interface physics; Surface Physics; Surface Science; Synchrotron Radiation; Theory and computational physics; Thin Film, Technology and Applications; Vacuum Science; X-ray Emission Spectroscopy; X-RAY FLUORESCENCE; X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism; X-RAY PHOTOEMISSION; X-Ray Spectroscopy; X-RAY-ABSORPTION; X-RAY-SCATTERING; XANES; XPS; ZNO FILMS

Recognition

Representations

President of the European Synchrotron and Free Electron Laser Users Organisation (ESUO). ESUO represents the interests of >25,000 users of the European based synchrotron and free electron laser facilities. Elected to the President position in October 2021 by a 30-nation, 45+ delegate assembly to head a newly registered international non-profit organisation, which had been in existence since 2010. I am now leading ESUO, and it's Executive Board and General Assembly in helping define with our strategic partner the League of European Accelerator-based Photon Sources (LEAPS), the future roadmap for equal participation without geographic barriers for SR and FEL users from across all of Europe. Our mission is to preserve this by lobbying the European Commission and national authorities. My elected term is for a period of 6 years. See: https://www.esuo.eu/ 1/11/2021

Irish national user delegate and representative on the European Synchrotron and FEL Users Organisation (ESUO). A de-facto member of the ESUO Executive Board since 2018 contributing to the writing and re-drafting of the ESUO Business Plan, advising on the transition to a legal non-profit entity, and chairing a working group on the re-definition of ESUO activities, in conjunction with the SR and FEL facilities consortium: the Leagues of Accelerator based Photon Sources (LEAPS). November 2010

Co-Chair and founder of the Irish Synchrotron, Free Electron Laser and Neutron Facility Users Organisation (ISUO) http://www.isuo.ie Active in representing the interests of the ~16 user groups and 70-90 active or regular users of SR, FEL and Neutron large scale facilities. Involved in lobbying to Irish funding agencies and EU Commission on funding access for a level playing field for all European facility users. 2014

A member of the CALIPSOplus projects General Assembly, which project is funded by the European Commission to bring together the European Synchrotron Radiation (SR) and Free Electron Laser (FEL) facilities in joint research activities and networking activities such as trans-national access (TNA) support for scientists to travel to SR/FEL facilities for experiments. The project runs from 2017 to 2021. I was nominated to this position by the ESUO General Assembly. 2017

I had been a member of the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS II) Beamline Advisory Team (BAT) to the Soft Inelastic X-ray scattering (SIX) beamline, which was part of the NSLS-II Experimental Tools (NEXT) project. This project funded by the US Department of Energy, represented a $18 million investment that was completed in 2017. I was invited in 2012 to become one of 6 external members of the BAT team for the SIX beamline meeting annually to review design decisions, modelling and implementation up until 2015. 2012

Member of the Institute of Physics in Ireland (IOPI) National Committee as the TCD Physics representative. In this role I was involved with colleagues from other universities and the IOPI policy officer in helping formulate policy positions to take to the Irish government. These concerned membership of international treaty organisations such as the ESO (joined), CERN and ESRF (not a member), as well as lobbying for support for Physics teaching in secondary level schools (equipment and assistants) and commissioning reports on the importance of Physics to the Irish economy. Helped devise and approve public information campaigns such as "Jobs for Physicists".The postgraduate medal for best postgraduate research poster at the annual IOPI spring meeting was named the Rosse medal at my suggestion. Organised each year one of the IOPI seminar speakers on national tour. 2007-2011

A member of the Swiss Light Sources's Proposal Review Committee, part of the Photon Science Division of the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. I chaired the Photoemission and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering committee for two years, of which I was a review member for 9 years. During this time I reviewed more than 530 beamtime proposals for the Swiss Light Source. 2012

Awards and Honours

Irish Government European Presidency Postdoctoral Fellowship - one of 12 competitively awarded fellowships based upon own proposal in the first Irish government sponsored postdoctoral fellowships in the sciences in a decade November 1996 - November 1998

Thomas E. Nevin Medal - Experimental Physics, UCD. Awarded to student in first place among Physics graduates with first class honors degree. July 1991

UCD Science: Experimental Physics Third Year Scholar (1st place) December 1990

UCD Science: Computer Science Second Year Scholar (1st place) December 1989

UCD Science: Mathematical Physics First Year Scholar (1st place) December 1988

UCD Science: Mathematics First Year Scholar (1st place) December 1988

Memberships

President of the European Synchrotron and Free Electron Laser Users Organisation (ESUO). ESUO represents >25,000 users of these facilities across Europe. 1/11/2021 – 30/10/2027

Principal Irish national delegate to European Synchrotron and FEL User Organisation (http://www.esuo.eu), since 2010. ESUO representative on General Assembly of CALIPSOplus EU project (http://www.calipsoplus.eu) 2010 – 2021

Member, co-chair and instigator of grass-roots Irish Synchrotron, Free Electron Laser and Neutron Facility Users Organisation (http://www.isuo.ie), active since 2014. 2014 – 2020

Institute of Physics (M.InstP) July 2006 – present

American Physical Society 1/1/2000 – 31/12/2006

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