Simon Hooker

Professor of Atomic and Laser Physics

I am interested in applications arising from the interaction of very intense laser radiation with matter. Many of these applications require an intense laser pulse to remain focused in a beam of small diameter over a long distance of propagation; something that is prevented by refraction and diffraction of the beam. The laser powers of interest are far too high to use conventional techniques, such as optical fibres and so my research group has developed a new technique for channelling such intense pulses. We are now investigating its application to driving miniature particle accelerators and compact x-ray sources.

In particular, I work on the generation of short-wavelenght radiation (soft x-ray region) via high-harmonics generation; plasma accelerators and their applications. Both of these subjects require extended propagation of intense laser pulses (1x10¹⁶ Wcm^-2 to 1x10¹⁹Wcm^-2) through ionising plasma. We are therefore also interested in techniques for guiding intense laser pulses, but given the high intensities the "core" of any guide cannot be solid.

Research area Optical Physics

Research interests Plasma accelerators Ultrafast optics Xray science

Department Physics

Dirk Aarts

Professor of Chemistry

We are working in soft condensed matter with a focus on the phase, interface and flow behaviour of colloidal particles.

Harry Anderson FRS

Professor of Chemistry

Our group does research in the areas of molecular materials synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, molecular recognition, polymers and dyes.

Huriye Atilgan

Postdoctoral Researcher, Henry Wellcome Fellow

Postdoctoral Researcher, Henry Wellcome Fellow Research interests: Auditory neuroscience, Auditory scene analysis, Neural circuit mechanisms of value-based decision making, Role of the claustrum in cognition (modulation, large-scale cortical communication), Use of advanced methods in neuroscience

Abhishek Banerjee

Professor of Neuroscience at Queen Mary University, London and Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow at University of Oxford

We are interested in studying neural circuit mechanisms underlying the flexibility of decision-making and how circuit dysfunctions arise in animal models of neurological disorders.

Richard Berry

Associate Professor of Physics

My research is focused on rotary molecular motors, in particular the Bacterial Flagellar Motor, which is a rotary molecular engine powered by the flow of ions across the inner, or cytoplasmic, membrane of a bacterial cell envelope.

Harish Bhaskaran

Professor of Applied Nanomaterials

I run the Advanced Nanoscale Engineering Lab.

Ruy Sebastian Bonilla

Associate Professor of Materials

My research aims to understand the interfaces between electronic materials, to develop new processing for advanced nanolayer materials, and to apply them to new and improved electronic, optical, electrochemical, and computing devices.

Martin Booth

Professor of Electrical Engineering

My research interests lie in the theory and practice of dynamic optics, particularly the use of adaptive optical elements in high resolution microscopy and ultrafast laser fabrication.

Randy Bruno

Professor of Neuroscience

My lab investigates the workings of cortical circuitry, using a combination of techniques: anatomy, intracellular recording, two-photon microscopy, optogenetics, and behavior.

Gianfelice Cinque

Diamond Light Source and University of Oxford (honorary)

My main research focus is on IR microspectroscopy in (bio)physics and biomedicine, synchrotron radiation spectroscopy and imaging, and on the development of near field IR imaging and Coherent SR THz spectroscopy techniques.