I completed my BSc and PhD at the University of Sheffield right at the start of the 1990's before moving for four years to the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) as a post doctoral research assistant.  I worked on different aspects of the physics of semiconductor tunnelling structures at both of these institutes, predominantly as an optical spectroscopist.

In 1998 I moved to the Novel Devices team at RSRE/DERA Malvern, working on InSb narrow bandgap devices, where I remained until 2011 gaining Fellow status in the newly formed privatised 'QinetiQ' and became a visiting Professor at Manchester University.

I was the IOP semiconductor group secretary for 5 years (2001 - 2006) and have sat on numerous industrial advisory committees and boards whilst working in Malvern.

I moved to Cardiff University in 2011 to take up the challenge of expanding the reputation that Cardiff already has for high quality semiconductor physics.

Honours and awards

Former QinetiQ Fellow and Visiting Professor at Manchester University, Institute of Photonics

PhD examiner, Universities of Manchester, Sheffield, Surrey, and Royal Holloway.

IOP semiconductor group secretary for 5 years (2001 - 2006)

EPSRC college member since 1999

PX4221 Module organiser for Low Dimensional Semiconductor Devices (4th Yr Module)

PX1123 Responsible for First year undergraduate laboratory teaching

PX1223 Module organsier for first year undergarduate laboratory teaching

Third and fourth year project supervisor

Research interests

My research interests revolve around novel devices, mainly based on group III-V semiconductors.  In particular I am interested in Heterostructures based around the narrow bandgap semiconductor InSb.  Whilst this was a very early III-V semiconductor to be investigated, the lack of a lattice matched alloy has resulted in it being a much less investigated material for modern device applications.  Whilst in my former role at QinetiQ Malvern I was involved in one of only two groups worldwide that had this growth capability.  I currently work closely with the national centre for III-V technologies in Sheffield to continue this world lead for the UK.

In particular, I am interested in nanoscale devices and the spin properties of electrons in InSb QW 2DEGs, and novel devices based on the manipulation of this spin.  As a result of the extremely large g factor in InSb, the spin orbit coupling is strong, and as a result spin effects are manifest in narrowgap materials that are almost irrelevant in wider bandgap counterparts.  These effects may make these materials suitable for quantum information devices, where spin can be manipulated without large magnetic fields, microwave pulses, or ultra low temperatures.