Welcome to the SMF Surface Physics Group

The Surface Physics Group is part of the Surfaces, Microstructure and Fracture group in the Cavendish Laboratory, home of the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge.

We are currently actively recruiting PhD students. Please see the vacancies page for further details and the project list.

Introduction

In the Surface Physics Group we carry out fundamental research into surface structure and processes. We are one of the world's only surface science groups to specialise in the experimental technique of Helium Atom Scattering (HAS), which we complement with more traditional surface techniques. Some of our most exciting work also includes the development of several new forms of instrumentation.

Our current high-profile projects include using helium-3 spin-echo to study dynamics on atomic length and timescales and the development of helium atom microscopy to provide an imaging technique with the uniquely delicate helium atom probe.

Please use the navigation bar to the left to browse our site and find out more information.

Recent photo of the group, taken 24 July at Bill's barbeque

Back: Andy A., Holly, Peter, Rob, Ashraf, Congcong, Dave
Middle: Gil, Andy J., Bill, John, Donald
Front: Pepijn, Everett, Kelly
Inset: David W, Annie

Recent News

• Well done to Kelsey, Dave W and Suzanne for their poster awards at ISSC in Warwick.
• Woohoo! Congratulations to Fay on her recent successful viva!
• Welcome to Kelsey who joins us this term as a new student.
• We wish Gil good luck as he leaves us for the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. While we look forward to him returning to visit us soon, we wish him every success with the development of his own spin echo spectrometer in Haifa.
• We are pleased to congratulate Donald on his new post in Glasgow doing exciting research in nanoparticles with the SUPA. Whilst we expect to see him around these parts many times in the near future, we would still like to wish him luck in all his new endeavours.
• The Spin Echo team have recently been successful in securing a major new grant to develop their world-leading technique. More details can be found at the EPSRC website.