Prof Robinson's interest are in X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation, for which he developed the methods for studying surface structure based on crystal truncation rods, which he discovered and built them into a definitive technique for the determination of the atomic positions at surfaces and interfaces.

Since coming to UCL, he has been developing coherence-based methods for use at the latest synchrotron sources to enable direct 3D imaging of structure on an ultrafast time scale; once coupled with Bragg diffraction, this is a powerful way to examine strain distributions and domain formation inside complex crystalline materials.

Research Interests:

Hard X-ray phase contrast imaging
X-ray diffraction-based methods development
Punp-probe ultrafast imaging of excitations of materials
Structure principles and applications of nanocrystals
Chromosome structure
Phase domain structure formation and pinning of fluctuations

External positions held:

Part time appointment with Condensed Matter and Materials Science Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory

Visting Professor in School of Materials Science and Engineering, TongJi University