Ultrafast dynamics and spintronics

One of our major activities since joining the Advanced Technology Institute has been the use of ultrashort pulses for the study of dynamics of electrons and light waves on a femtosecond time-scale. This time scale is one that covers the time it takes for electons and photons to interact; for electrons and phonon (quantum packets of sound or heat) to interact; and for chemical reactions to occur and so on.

Primary interests

  • Small energy electronic transitions in semiconductors (e.g. intersubband transitions, narrow band gaps etc) studied with a Free Electron Laser (Prof Ben Murdin).
  • Dynamics of spins in semiconductors using circularly polarised pulses (Prof Ben Murdin and Dr Steven Clowes).
  • Development of semiconductor spintronic devices (Dr Steven Clowes).
  • Single atom spintronic devices for quantum information (Prof Ben Murdin).
  • Femtoscecond dynamics of interacting electrons and photons in semiconduictor laser diodes (Prof Jeremy Allam).
  • 1D diffusion of excitons along carbon nanotubes (Prof Jeremy Allam).