The research interests of the group range from fundamental aspects of superconductivity and magnetism through to applied research on magnetic recording media. Our principle experimental approach is to use powerful microscopic probes of condensed matter, such as neutrons and muons, to reveal information that cannot be obtained by other methods. The results can be related both to theoretical models and to signatures obtained in bulk characterisation methods such as magnetisation measurements.

The group, headed by Prof. Stephen Lee, has a strong record in obtaining competitively awarded beam time at some of the world's leading international facilities including the Institute Laue Langevin (Grenoble), ISIS (UK) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland). Research collaborations currently exist with groups from around the world including the USA, Japan, India, Switzerland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, including an industrial collaboration with Hitachi, San Jose. The work of the group is regularly published in leading international journals and is frequently represented globally at conferences.

Some of our current research interests include thin film and nanoscale magnetism; self-assembled nanostructures; magnetic recording media; mesocopic superconductivity and vortex matter; the interaction of magnetism and superconductivity. The techniques that we make regular use of are small angle neutron scattering (SANS), muon spin rotation (µSR), polarised SANS (SANSPOL), polarised neutron reflectivity (PNR) and most recently low energy muons (LEM). Information on some of these topics, as well as a list of some recent publications, can be found on these pages.

The SANS small-angle spectometer at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Switzerland.