People
Group Members:
Dr Marcus C. Newton
Dr Marcus C. Newton BSc (London), PhD (UCL), FInstP, FHEA
Associate Professor of Physics
UKRI Future Leader Fellow
Marcus Newton is an Associate Professor and leader of the Coherent X-ray Science Group. His research is focussed on the study of quantum materials at the nanoscale. This includes the study of multiferroic materials for next generation energy efficient integrated devices. Other research activities include the use of symmetry equivalence in quantum materials for modelling early universe phenomena such as cosmic strings and the Higgs mechanism. He has pioneered the development and use of lens-less imaging techniques such as Bragg coherent diffraction imaging (BCDI) for the study of quantum materials at the nanoscale. He also plays an active role in the development of CDI techniques at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron facility.
He has many years experience in delivering lecture series courses on 'Crystalline Solids' (PHYS3004), ‘Applied Nuclear Physics’ (PHYS3009) and ‘Computer Techniques in Physics’ (PHYS6017) as a part of the undergraduate teaching programme. He is also co-author of the third edition of Introductory Solid State Physics, an undergraduate text book on condensed matter physics to be published by Taylor & Francis.
Marcus is author of the Interactive Phase Retrieval Suite, the first software package that allows for real-time visualisation of the reconstruction of phase information in both two and three dimensions. This is the most popular software tool for phase reconstruction of Bragg CDI data and is routinely used at various synchrotron facilities including the Diamond Light Source, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and the Advanced Photon Source (APS). It has provided Coherent Diffraction Imaging scientists with a step improvement in the efficiency of data analysis through automation and ease of use.
Undergraduate Teaching
- Crystalline Solids
- Computer Techniques in Physics
Research Interests
- Bragg coherent diffraction imaging (BCDI) of quantum materials.
- Synchrotron science and technologies for lens-less imaging at the nanoscale.
- Ultra-fast processes in quantum materials probed using X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) facilities.
- Machine learning accelerated lens-less imaging.
- Non-linear, non-convex numerical optimisation and inverse problems.
- Computational Materials Physics.
- Next generation energy efficient materials and devices.
Dr Mansoor Nellikkal
Post-Doctoral Scientist
Ahmed Mohamed
PhD Candidate
David Serban
PhD Candidate
Jesse Tighe
PhD Candidate
Visiting Scientists:
Sidoine is coordinator of X-TechLab, Sèmè City, Benin. He has broad expertise in X-ray diffraction.
Alumni:
- Dr Ulrich Wagner (Visiting Scientist) -> Swiss FEL
- Dr Dusan Plasienka (Visiting Scientist)
- Jocelyn Shannon (Masters Student)
- Ralph Sage (Masters Student)
- Daniel Ladega (MPhil Candidate)
- Toby Mitchell (Masters Student) -> Cambridge University PhD Candidate
- Evan Ng (Masters Student)
- Rowland Rich (Masters Student)
- Dr Charles Opoku (PDRA) -> Open University Research Fellow
- George Lancaster (Masters Student)
- Adam Pietraszewski (Masters Student)
- Anthony Kenny (Masters Student)
- Simon Payne (Masters Student)
- Charlie Turner (Masters Student)
- Elena Ureña Horno (PhD Candidate)