UCL CENTRE FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH

Research Summary

I run a research group at UCL in the area of theoretical condensed-matter physics. We are interested in understanding the theoretical foundations of the newly emerging area of nanoscale science. In particular we are trying to understand the flow of electrons through very small structures; such structures might be formed in a scanning tunnelling microscopy experiment, or by some specific chemical reaction involving a molecule at the surface of a material. Such structures could eventually be used as molecular-scale wires or electronic devices. We tackle these problems by solving the Schroedinger equation for the electrons in the system, using a mixture of analytical and computational work; we also colaborate with numerous experimental groups working on nanotechnology, both at UCL and elsewhere. I am also co-author of a graduate textbook on the theory of critical phenomena.