Prof Des McMorrow

Biography

• Low dimensional quantum spin systems
• High-temperature superconductivity
• Multipolar order in novel materials

My research is focussed on understanding how electrons organise themselves in solids to produce the wonderfully diverse range of phenomena encountered in modern condensed matter physics. I am particularly interested in how low-dimensionality and strong collective quantum effects can produce new states of matter, such as the high-temperature superconductors, quantum spin liquids, etc. The techniques I use are based mainly on using x-rays and neutrons to probe the structural and magnetic correlations that dominate the low-energy behaviour of these and other interesting classes of solids. This invariably means that I spend significant periods of time at central facilities such as ISIS in Oxfordshire, and the Institute Laue-Langevin and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, both located in Grenoble, France.

Examples of Recent Publications

• Femtoscale Magnetically Induced Lattice Distortions in Multiferroic TbMnO3. H. C.Walker, F. Fabrizi, L. Paolasini, F. de Bergevin, J. Herrero-Martin, A. T. Boothroyd, D. Prabhakaran, D. F. McMorrow, (2011) Science 333 1273
• Antiferromagnetically spin polarized oxygen observed in magneto-electric TbMn₂O₅. T.A.W. Beale, S.B. Wilkins, R.D. Johnson, S.R. Bland, Y. Joly, T.R. Forrest, D.F. McMorrow, F. Yakhou, D. Prabhakaran, A.T. Boothroyd, and P.D. Hatton. (2010) Phys. Rev. Lett. 105 087203
• Electric field control of multiferroic domains in Ni₃V₂O₈ imaged by X-ray polarization enhanced topography. F. Fabrizi, H. C. Walker, L. Paolasini, F. de Bergevin, T. Fennell, N. Rogado, R.J. Cava, Th. Wolf, M. Kenzelmann, and D. F. McMorrow. (2010) Phys. Rev. B 82 024434
• Inelastic X-ray Scattering Study of SmFeAsO_1-xF_y Single Crystals: Evidence for Strong Momentum-Dependent Doping-Induced Renormalizations of Optical Phonons. M. Le Tacon, T. R. Forrest, Ch. Rüegg, A. Bosak, A. C. Walters, R. Mittal, H. M. Ronnow, N. D. Zhigadlo, S. Katrych, J. Karpinski, J. P. Hill, M. Krisch, D.F. McMorrow. (2009) Phys. Rev. B 80 220504
• Magnetic Coulomb Phase in the Spin Ice Ho₂Ti₂O_{7 .}T. Fennell, P. P. Deen, A. R. Wildes, K. Schmalzl, D. Prabhakaran, A. T. Boothroyd, R. J. Aldus, D. F. McMorrow, and S. T. Bramwell. (2009) Science 326 415
• Nature of the magnetic order and origin of induced-ferroelectricity in TbMnO₃. S. B. Wilkins, T. R. Forrest, T.A.W. Beale, S.R. Bland, H.C. Walker, D. Mannix, F.Yakhou, D. Prabhakaran, A.T. Boothroyd, J.P. Hill, P.D. Hatton, and D.F. McMorrow. (2009) Phys. Rev. Lett.  103  207602
• Circularly polarized X-rays as a probe of non-collinear magnetic order in multiferroic TbMnO₃. F. Fabrizi, H. C. Walker, L. Paolasini, F. de Bergevin, A.T. Boothroyd, D. Prabhakaran, D. F. McMorrow. (2009) Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 237205
• Magnetic field-induced soft-mode quantum phase transition in the high-temperature superconductor  La_1.85Sr_0.145CuO₄. J. Chang, N.B. Christensen, Ch. Niedermayer, K. Lefmann, H.M. Roennow, D.F. McMorrow, A. Schneidewind, P. Link, A. Hiess, M. Boehm, R. Mottl, S. Pailhes, N. Momono, M. Oda, M. Ido, J. Mesot. (2009) Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 177006
• Direct Observation of Magnon Fractionalization in the Quantum Spin Ladder. B. Thielemann. Ch. R¸egg, H.M. Ronnow, A.M. Luchli, J.-S. Caux, B. Normand, D. Biner, K.W. Kramer, H.-U. G¸del, J. Stahn, K. Habicht, K. Kiefer, M. Boehm, D.F. McMorrow, J. Mesot. (2009) Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 107204

Biography

• 2008-Present Deputy Director, London Centre for Nanotechnology
• 2004-Present Professor of Physics, UCL
• 2004-2009 Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award
• 2002-2003 Senior Research Scientist, Riso National Laboratory
• 2000-2002 Head of Research Programme, X-ray and Neutron scattering, Riso
• 1998-2003 External lecturer in Physics, Niels Bohr Institute
• 1993-2000 Senior Scientist, Risø
• 1991-1993 Senior College Lecturer, Keble College, Oxford
• 1990-1993 Research Fellow, Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford
• 1987-1990 Research Fellow, Physics Department, University of Edinburgh
• 1983-1987 Ph. D., University of Manchester
• 1979-1983 B.Sc. in Physics, University of Sheffield