Physics Summer Research Project Titles 2015/16
Soft Matter Physics
1. All cellulose composites: woodn’t that be wonderful.
Dr. Mike Ries
Cellulose is the world’s most abundant naturally occurring organic polymer. It is an almost
inexhaustible source of raw material for the ever increasing demand for biocompatible and
renewable, environmentally friendly products. Cellulose is a polysaccharide forming a linear
chain of linked glucose units and can be found in the cell walls of plants. The modulus of a
cellulose crystal is 150 GPa (steel is 200 GPa) and yet is 1/5 the density of steel. A composite
traditionally consists of at least two components, a matrix and a dispersed reinforcing
phase, for example carbon fibre reinforced polymers. These materials are expensive to
produce but give incredible strength to weight ratios and are used in, amongst others, the
aerospace and automotive industry, such as a Boeing 787 or a BMW i3. Over many years
research at Leeds has, in parallel with commercial development, led to the novel idea of
using a process called ‘hot compaction’ to manufacture single polymer composites. In this
process highly oriented polymer fibres are heated so that the surface of each individual fibre
is ‘selectively’ melted while retaining the core. Upon cooling, this skin recrystallises to form
the matrix of a self-reinforced fibre composite. Samsonite pioneered this, producing a new
range of lightweight, impact resistant luggage. Now we want to make all cellulose
composites using ionic liquids and in this project you will examine the effects an ionic liquid
has on cellulose fibres and materials via a wide range of experimental techniques to
quantify and understand the physics of cellulose dissolution and recrystallisation.
2. Ionic Liquids: Designer solvents without the designer price tag.
Dr. Mike Ries
Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts with low melting points, below 100 °C at atmospheric pressure,
and so at ambient conditions are liquids comprised entirely of ions. Typically an IL consists
of an organic cation and a smaller inorganic anion. Unlike conventional molecular liquids
they have negligible vapour pressure, non-flammability, high ionic conductivity, and are
thermally and electrically stable. Their low volatility, ease of handling and high dissolving
power for a variety of inorganic and organic materials means that they are being utilized in
the green industrial sector to replace conventional volatile organic solvents. But the lack of a
fundamental understanding in the structure-property relationships in ILs is delaying their
large scale industrial application. This project will use NMR to investigate the microscopic
dynamics of ionic liquids and relate it to their macroscopic properties.
3. Solving solvation: the how and why of dissolving carbohydrates.
Dr. Mike Ries
Cellulose is the world’s most abundant naturally occurring organic polymer. Each year the
amount of cellulose produced by Nature outweighs, by factors of thousands, all the
combined man-made oil based polymers. It is an almost inexhaustible source of raw
material for the ever-increasing need for biocompatible, biodegradable, environmentally
friendly products and shows great promise for replacing conventional petroleum-based
plastics. Using polysaccharides, such as the carbohydrate cellulose, brings valuable
advantages: use of the largest “chemical reactor” Nature itself; decrease of fossil oil
dependence; and reduction of CO2 emissions. This project will examine how an ionic liquid
dissolves carbohydrates, the first step in processing them, using nuclear magnetic
resonance. You will discover how you can determine the microscopic structure and
dynamics of these solutions and how to connect this microscopic world to the macroscopic
one.
4. The long tail of ionic liquids: ion architecture.
Dr. Mike Ries
Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts with low melting points, below the boiling point of water at
atmospheric pressure, and therefore at ambient temperatures are molten liquids comprised
entirely of ions. Typically ILs consist of an organic cation and a smaller inorganic anion. They
represent an emerging class of versatile materials that are gaining a rapid increase in
interest from both industry and academia. Their low volatility, ease of handling and high
dissolving power for a variety of inorganic and organic materials means that they are being
utilized in the green chemistry sector to replace conventional volatile organic solvents. ILs
can in principle be tailored to a specific application due to an almost unlimited number of
potential cation and anion combinations. Typically in the design of new ILs with specified
required characteristics a trial and error approach is adopted. What is needed in this respect
is therefore a better understanding of how the molecular architecture is related to the
macroscopic properties. This project will use NMR to investigate the molecular dynamics of
ionic liquids and relate it to the architecture; in particular you will examine the effect of
adding a tail to the cation and / or anion.
5. Developing an automated system for fibre orientation measurement.
Dr. Peter Hine
This is a purely computer based project, which will require knowledge of C++
6. Quantum dots based photonic devices
Dr. Mamatha Nagaraj
7. Understanding chirality in non-chiral liquid crystals
Dr. Mamatha Nagaraj
8. Design and application of a laser-based system for the characterisation of gelation,
phase behaviour and physical ageing in soft matter systems.
Dr. Johan Mattsson and Dr. Pete Hine
9. Fast but practical LCD: A novel way to bake a pi cell.
Prof. Cliff Jones
The LCD used in your TV set is limited in speed for more complex applications such as
glasses-free 3D displays, frame-sequential colour (instead of colour filters) and high frame
rates for gaming applications. One solution is to use what is called a pi-cell. Unfortunately,
this type of device has never succeeded in practice due to the complex manufacturing issues
and unreliability. Recently, a new type of liquid crystal phase has been discovered – the
twist-bend nematic phase. This occurs in materials that have very unusual elastic properties.
At the moment, no-one has thought of looking at these materials in devices. In this project
we will try to solve the problems of the pi-cell using this exciting class of material. You will
learn a lot about physical properties of soft matter materials, building devices in the cleanroom, and how to conduct research.
10. Ultra-thin molecular films. Is there a liquid crystal equivalent to graphene?
Prof. Cliff Jones
The two most common forms of liquid crystals are the nematics found in your TV display,
and the smectics, found in switchable privacy screens and . Smectics are like two
dimensional liquid crystals, forming layer structures. These layers can form free-standing
films, similar to how you form soap bubbles. Some of these films have been 2 – 3 layers
thick. However, they are short lived, and not particularly useful. In this project, we will aim
to create ultra-thin films and freeze in the structure using a photo-polymer that is matched
to the liquid crystal. We will then aim to characterise those films and use them in novel
electro-optic devices.
Theoretical Physics
11. Is water a quantum disentangled liquid? (1 or 2 students)
Dr. Zlatko Papic
12. Quantum control of many-body localized states (1 or 2 students)
Dr. Zlatko Papic
13. Localization from A(nderson) to Z(eno) (1 student)
Dr. Zlatko Papic
14. From geometry to topology of quantum systems (1 or 2 students)
Dr. Jiannis Pachos
15. Non-linear dynamics in quantum networks
Dr. Almut Beige
Astrophysics
16. Finding filaments in simulations
Dr. Sven Van Loo
Molecular clouds are often very filamentary structures. By identifying
these structures we can derive some essential properties of the clouds
and some clues of their formation process. We will test an identification
routine on some numerical models of molecular clouds.
17. The radiative overstability of dusty shocks
Dr. Julian Pittard
Project description: Dusty shocks are ubiquitous in astronomy. Radiative shocks are
known to suffer from an over stability as the post-shock gas cools. However, it is not
known how the presence of dust affects this behaviour. The student will make use of
a state of the art computational fluid dynamics code to study this phenomena.
18. Be the PI of your own project using ALMA data
Katharine Johnston
This project will involve using data available in the archive of the radio telescope ALMA (the
Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array). As the student, you will look through the
archive and choose the data you would like to work on, exploring the possible science
questions you may be able to answer with the data. Then you will reduce the ALMA data,
with help, to answer these questions and to maybe discover some unexpected results in the
process.
19. Splash Landing - Dropping Clouds onto Galactic Discs
Prof. Tom Hartquirt and Christina Burge
Supernovae inject energy into the interstellar medium, which drives some of the material
into the halo of the Galaxy. A good fraction of this material cools and falls back to the disc.
The encounter causes a splash, which may induce star formation. The project concerns the
nature of the splash.
Condensed Matter
20. Spin current generation in InAs/GaSb quantum well heterostructures.
Prof. Chris Marrows and Chris Morrison
21. Magnetostrictive thin films with perpendicular anisotropy.
Dr. Tom Moore
22. Novel skyrmion materials for magnetic storage: characterization of thin magnetic
multilayer systems
Katharina Zeissler
The world is facing an ever-growing demand for data storage. One approach towards
achieving higher data density is to store the information in smaller and smaller areas.
Conventional magnetic materials, used for data storage, struggles to go beyond the current
limits due to thermal instability. Skyrmions, thus far the smallest spin textures discovered in
magnetic thin films, could form part of the solution. Thin ferromagnetic films sandwiched by
heavy metal layers have shown to stabilize Skyrmions via interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya
interactions (DMI).
This project will measure the magnetic properties of the fabricated multilayers using
different diagnostic techniques. The aim is to investigate the DMI strength and whether any
Skyrmions are detectable.
23. Tailoring superconducting nanoplates/nanowires of topological crystalline
insulator Sn1-xInxTe
Dr. Satoshi Sasaki
Growth of semiconductor nanowires has been of great interest because the restricted
dimensionality of the system can provide a platform of novel quantum phenomena.
Superconducting nanomaterials with strong spin-orbit interaction will provide us further
exotic system. We will grow superconducting nanoplates/nanowires of Sn1-xInxTe with a
vapour-transport technique and characterize them by optical and atomic force microscopy,
and X-ray.
24. Single crystal growth and characterization of topological insulator Bi2Se3 and
Bi2Te3
Dr. Satoshi Sasaki
Topological insulators (TI) are materials which have an insulating bulk state and gaplessmetallic surface states with Dirac-like band structure where spin and momentum electrons
are perpendicularly locked. Therefore pure spin currents (no-net charge current) are
naturally induced at the surface of TIs. Recently topological insulators have attracted a lot of
interest because of its novelty and potential that can be applied to future spintronic
technologies. We will grow some of conventional TIs, Bi2Se3 and Bi2Te3 with a melt-growth
method and characterize them by means of optical and atomic force microscopy, and X-ray,
25. Exploring novel superconducting topological materials
Dr. Satoshi Sasaki
Recently, proximity-induced superconductivity in semiconductor materials with strong spinorbit interaction has attracted a lot of attention because it is theoretically predicted that it
can harbour Majorana fermions (MF). MFs are very mysterious quasiparticles and the
existence has not been experimentally proven yet. If discovered, innovations in future
quantum technologies, in particular topological quantum computing, will be fostered. We
will try to explore MFs growing several superconducting semiconductor materials based on
theoretical predictions.
26. Kondo physics in a magnetic free environment for quantum devices
Dr. Oscar Cespedes
The Kondo effect describes the electron scattering by magnetic impurities in metals or
quantum dots. Potential applications include sensors and quantum information processing,
as the effect allows for the transport of information in systems which are too small for
conventional wiring. This is an experimental project in which the student will study the
possibility of measuring tuneable Kondo physics in a system free of magnetic elements,
which would allow its compatibility with superconducting qubits.
27. Carbon-based magnets: reducing our dependency on rare-earths
Dr. Oscar Cespedes
Permanent magnets have applications ranging from power generation (e.g. wind turbines)
to actuators (e.g. hard disks). These magnets are manufactured from alloys of transition
metals with rare earths. However, rare earths are scarce, hard to mine and harmful to the
environment. New strategies to replace them with novel materials have been addressed by
the US Congress and the EU Parliament. We have observed that certain carbon structures
can improve the magnetic properties of 3d metals, which could lead to the substitution of
rare earths by eco-friendly, carbon based molecules. This is an experimental project to
explore the possibility of using these nanomaterials in designer magnets.
Molecular Nanophysics
28. The effect of curvature on patterning in a biomembrane
Dr Simon Connell
The aim of this project is to investigate the influence of curvature on the phase behaviour of
lipid membranes. These systems are 5 nm thick sheets that self-assemble from individual
molecules in water. Although the membrane is stiff perpendicular to the plane, the
individual molecules have high in-plane mobility, and can diffuse and segregate forming
distinct phases. There is evidence that curvature (bending) influences the phase behaviour
membranes, and a 2015 Summer student developed a simple rig for tuning the curvature of
a surface by stretching a PDMS slab and exposing it to oxygen plama, forming sinusoidal
wrinkles with controllable wavelength in the range of 100’s of nanometres. We will prepare
curved surfaces using this apparatus and form membranes on the surface, and then observe
the effect using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).
29. Experiments with hydrogel Nanospheres (with Dr J Mattsson, SMP)
Dr SD Connell MNP
In the past year we have been studying the material properties of hydrogel nanospheres
made from a PNIPAM polymer. These are extremely soft (modulus of around 10 kPa,
approximately 100x softer than a soft contact lens), about 300 nm in diameter, and thermoresponsive, swelling or collapsing at temperature of about 34 C, making them extremely
useful for many industrial applications. We have many current avenues for investigation,
and experiments include creating close packed arrays on surfaces and studying the effect of
introducing hard sphere (silica) defects of controlled size. This might allow us to measure
the Poisson Ratio of the particles (a currently unknown value). Another possibility is using
osmotic pressure to apply a force to the hydrogel, and hence measure the modulus through
measure the shape change using Atomic Force Microscopy of collaped hydrogel
hemispheres. This work is ongoing research, so the exact project will be determined nearer
the time.
30. Modelling of diffusion and confinement
Dr. Hugo Christenson and James Cambell
We have been working to develop a simple, transparent, computationally efficient model
for studying complex thermodynamic systems. In contrast to conventional molecular
dynamics or Monte Carlo simulations, this offers the opportunity to illustrate the behaviour
of many-component systems over relatively long timescales. Our particular interest lies in
phase transitions associated with confined geometries, particularly capillary condensation
and nucleation in narrow pores and acute wedges, and in the interplay of the kinetics of
these processes with diffusion and adsorption. The project will involve performing careful
studies of confinement phenomena which can be compared to theoretical predictions and
to experimental results, and optionally helping to build upon the model itself. The project
would suit a student comfortable with programming, preferably with experience of C/C++.
31. Cell capturing in a microfluidic device
Dr. Jung-uk Shim
The goal of this project is to develop a microfluidic device that is able to trap cells in the
device in order to interrogate single cells with optical measurements. The device will include
channels for transporting cells, valves for controlling flow, wells to store cells and potentially
electrodes to apply an electric field. The important feature of the proposed microfluidic
device is the ability of trapping cells in wells using the surface tensional force. Once cells are
trapped in wells, they rarely move to other wells, which provide the physical address of cells
determined by the trapping wells in the device. The cells will be transferred to the next
region, in which various other properties of the cells can be interrogated. In order to
transfer the cells the flow rate of medium will be enhanced to overcome the surface
tensional force and to flush cells out of wells. The flow of cells will be controlled via
embedded microfluidic valves in the device.
32. Multiplexed single molecule counting immunoassay
Dr. Jung-uk Shim
The single molecule counting immunoassay will be employed to detect multiple proteins in
a single assay. The ability to simultaneously measure the abundance of multiple proteins is
important because they constitutively function within networks, pathways, complexes and
families. Also, there is an ongoing research trend towards developments of multiplexed
biomarker assay in oncology. These multiplexed immunoassays can be realized by labelling
beads with different fluorophores so that each conjugated antibody is represented by
distinctively fluorescence encoded beads. A large number of beads can be encoded using
various combinations of fluorescent dyes with different emission wavelengths and intensity
levels usually by entrapping the fluorescent moieties in the interior of beads or by
covalently attaching the dyes onto the surface of the beads. The co-existences of enzymatic
amplifications and a specific bead represent the presence of a specific biomarker in sample.
33. Exploring DNA origami nanotiles as functional nanomaterials using atomic force
microscopy
Dr. Neil Thomson
DNA origami nanotiles are made by one pot self-assembly of a long single-stranded DNA
“stapled” together with short single-stranded DNA staples. They can be functionalised for
applications in biosensing, light harvesting and as potential drug delivery vehicles. They have
the potential to be the base units of more complex 2D and 3D nanomaterials.
This project will explore the formation and structure of model DNA origami nanotiles using
atomic force microscopy (AFM) in liquid as the main analytical technique. The student will
learn about DNA nanostructures and applications, as well as rationale design of DNA
origami. They will be trained in making the nanotiles and imaging by AFM.
Physics Education Research Group
34. Lighting up Maxwell’s Equations
Dr. Mike Ries
1 student
This project will look at ways of supporting the second year undergraduate
electromagnetism course through creating additional support material. You will
investigate the use and effectiveness of different approaches, from instructional
videos through interactive webpages and apps to traditional pen and paper. After
deciding on the best type of support material you will then choose a topic from
within the electromagnetism syllabus, create the material and finally write a
feedback questionnaire to later asses its effectiveness.
35. Developing Resources for Teaching – Enterprise in Physics
Dr. Samantha Pugh
1 or 2 students
This project is for one or two students to work on customising education resources
for Physics students. Three modules will be worked on: Careers in SMEs; Idea to
Market (New Product Development), and Making an Impact (Entrepreneurship).
These are existing Chemistry modules and we wish to develop case studies to enable
Physics students to benefit from the courses in the future.
36. Developing models for undergraduate research projects with local companies
Dr. Samantha Pugh
1 or 2 students
A research project investigating the potential models for working in partnership with
local companies on Summer Internships and Final Year Projects. The research would
focus on establishing the mechanisms, and talking to local employers relevant to
physics about their interest in engaging with us and to also investigate any potential
barriers. The project would involve working with the White Rose Industrial Physics
Academy, and in collaboration with administrative support staff.
37. Social Physics –Learning in Groups
Dr. Alison Voice
1 student
What do students gain from talking to each other about physics? Both in organised
group work and in informal settings. How should we best use group work in our
curriculum to maximise learning and understanding? This project will survey previous
research in this area and develop questionnaires for our students/staff. Conclusions
will then be drawn from the analysis and suggestions made for future curriculum
development.
38. Physics in Spirals
Dr. Alison Voice
1 student
It takes time to fully understand a new concept in Physics, and if use of that concept
is not maintained it is quickly forgotten. We thus aim to teach Physics in a continuous
‘spiral’ from school through university, to keep revisiting topics such as
Electromagnetism, Thermodynamics, Quantum Physics, etc to remind students of
what they already know and advance the complexity of their understanding.
This project will look at previous research on the idea of a ‘spiral curriculum’ and
through interaction with our staff and students, suggest novel ways to keep such
concepts of Physics alive in the mind to enhance conceptual understanding and slow
the rate of decay of previously acquired knowledge.
39. Does Teaching in Physics need a Digital Revolution?
Dr. Rob Purdy
1 student
Teaching in Physics has not embraced digital methods to the same extent as some
other subjects. This project aims to explore both the extent of and the reasons
behind such differences in methodology, and whether students feel digital tools are
necessary in order to enhance their learning. If students feel they would benefit from
digital methods being used, this study also aims to investigate what students would
like to see introduced.
40. Astrodome Outreach Project
Erin McNeill
1 or 2 students
The University of Leeds now has a portable planetarium that the School of Physics
and Astronomy will be using for science outreach! The purpose of the summer
project will be to create a suite of complimentary activities, workshops and learning
materials to support the current content of the astrodome. These activities will be
used in schools to encourage the study of physics and astronomy and will hopefully
be awesome, fun and exciting! The project will be supported by the Physics
Outreach Officer and the students should have a passion for science communication
and a basic understanding of the "widening participation" agenda.