X-ray Physics

Our Research

X-ray physics led to the first Nobel Prize but to many every decade across physics, chemistry, biomedicine and more interdisciplinary and applied fields. While of long-standing history, the evolution towards more physical insight, more computational insight, more relativistic and quantum insight, great capacity to target increasingly complex and critical systems has led to current and future emerging areas especially relating to Synchrotron Science, Free Electron Lasers, application to and from Diffraction, Scattering Theory, Small Molecule Quantum Chemistry, materials transport, advanced detector diagnosis and development, ultra-fast phenomena and reaction coordinate measurement, nanoscience and biomedically critical areas of research.

Especially relevant recently are the developments of Diffraction Science, X-ray interferometry and X-ray absorption fine structure with new techniques of XERT and the Hybrid technique, together with novel imaging and inversion problem techniques and application to astroparticle phenomena and biochemical challenges. Our theoretical and experimental research tackles several of the `big questions' in the understanding of Complex and Emerging systems, including: Cluster physics, strongly emergent in all senses based around relativistic quantum mechanics and quantum chemistry; The emergence of band structure and the separation of surface and bulk plasmons; the Control of materials and processes at the level of electrons; and Exploring emergent phenomena from complex correlations, to quote a few grand challenges from the US DOE list. X-ray physics research involves exciting new areas of physics that have practical real world applications in industry, medicine and the environment. Key developments involve ab initio determination of material properties from advanced measurement and theory.

Our People