SMF : Group Website : Staff
The areas of study in the Surface, Microstructure and Fracture (SMF) Group are broadly divided into surface phenomena and dynamic material processes.
The group has two main focus areas:
- Fracture and Shock Physics
- Surface Physics
Fracture and Shock Physics
The Fracture and Shock Physics group has an international reputation in the areas of material fracture, shock physics, the study of energetic materials and has pioneered the use of high-speed diagnostics.
Surface Physics
In the area of surface physics, we carry out fundamental research into surface structure and processes. We specialise in the experimental technique of Helium Atom Scattering (HAS), which we complement with more traditional surface techniques. Some of our most exciting work includes the development of new instrumentation.
Our current high-profile projects include using helium-3 spin-echo techniques to study dynamics on atomic length and timescales and the development of helium atom microscopy to provide an imaging technique with a uniquely delicate helium atom probe.