Nanomechanics

Professor Sutton is a materials physicist who applies fundamental physics to understand and predict the structure and properties of materials of technological significance. His interests are at the interface between condensed matter physics and materials science. His work involves theory spanning classical and quantum mechanics, elastic field theory of defects and their interactions in solids, transport of atoms, electrons and heat in solids, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, electronic structure and interatomic forces.

Trevor Lindley came to Imperial College in 1994 after working in the Centre des Materiaux at Ecole des Mines de Paris. He had previously worked for the Power Generation Companies, Central Electricity Generating Board and National Power. The main theme of Professor Lindley's research is the relation between microstructure and mechanical behaviour

Prof Yuri Korchev research interests include SICM for reliable imaging of living cells, alone and in combination with fluorescence microscopy and patch clamp for functional imaging, and the use of SCIM for scanning near field optical microscopy. In cellular biology, he researches the role of mechano-sensitivity in cells and in action of hormones in regulation of ion channels; the mapping of the distribution of single functional channels in living cells. In the field of biosensors, he is interested in the use of nanopipettes as biosensors.

Professor Dye's research Interests focus on the fatigue, micromechanics and design of jet engine, aircraft and reactor materials, particularly superalloys, titanium, NiTi, TWIP steels and zirconium. In his group, they work on problems across the life-cycle from alloy design to processing to fatigue and failure. A lot of the work involes advanced TEM techniques, complementing work at neutron and synchrotron major facilities like ISIS, Diamond, ESRF and SNS.

Prof Thornton's research focusses on structure/property relations of metal oxide surfaces and nanostructures, particularly of TiO2, with a shift in emphasis towards solid/liquid interfaces relevant to light harvesting applications. Scanning probe, laser and related instruments are employed, as well as synchrotron radiation and laser facilities at Harwell Lab.

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.