Dr Chris Burrows
My research focuses on the growth and characterisation of novel half-metallic materials for spintronic applications. I make extensive use of a number of techniques ranging from X-ray diffraction (XRD) for structural characterisation to surface composition and morphology using XPS or AFM. As part of these structural studies, we make use of a number of central research facilities around the world including the ESRF (France), SPring-8 (Japan), NSLS (USA) and the Diamond Light Source (UK).
I am currently working on the EPSRC funded grant 'Half-metallic ferromagnets: materials fundamentals for next-generation spintronics' under the leadership of Dr. Gavin Bell. Further information on this project can be found here.
In October 2013, I completed a post-doctoral position working with Dr Gavin Bell on the modification of surfaces through chemical and physical processing. The primary aim of the project was to develop, and subsequently refine, these materials for a broad range of applications.
Background
Since undertaking an undergraduate final year project under the supervision of Prof. Chris McConville in 2007 I have been a member of the Surface, Interface & Thin Films Group in the Physics Department at Warwick. The undergraduate project, titled 'Low Energy Electron Diffraction of adsorbate covered metal surfaces', focused on the behaviour of Sb deposited onto the Au(111) surface and the resulting surface reconstructions. Following the successful completion of this project I began a Ph.D under the supervision of Dr Bell investigating the growth and characterisation of MnSb thin-films.
In December 2012 I successfully defended my thesis, titled 'Growth and Characterisation of MnSb Thin Films and Interfaces' (a copy of which can be found here and can be downloaded from here). My Ph.D was concerned with the growth and study of polymorphic inclusions in MnSb thin films grown on GaAs and Ge/Si virtual substrates, the results of which are outlined in the publications section below.
Techniques and experience
I am familar with a wide range of characterisation techniques including, but not limited to:
| AFM | - | Atomic force microscopy |
| LEED | - | Low-energy electron diffraction |
| RHEED | - | Reflection high-energy electron diffraction |
| SQUID | - | Superconducting quantum interference device |
| XMCD | - | X-ray magnetic circular dichroism |
| XPS | - | X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy |
| XRD | - | X-ray diffraction (inc. grazing incidence and surface diffraction) |
In addition I have extensive experience in the use of MBE and spin coating for the deposition of thin films.
Several of these characterisation techniques have been performed at synchrotron radiation facilities around the world, including: Diamond Light Source (Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, UK), National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS, Brookhaven National Lab, USA), SPring-8 (Japan) and the ESRF (Grenoble, France).
In addition, I have written some useful snippets of python code and these can be found here.
Selected publications (a full list of my publications can be found here)
- C W Burrows, S A Hatfield, F Bastiman and G R Bell, J. Phys-Condens. Mat. 26, 395006 (2014).
- C. W. Burrows, A. Dobbie, M. Myronov, T. P. A. Hase, S. B. Wilkins, M. Walker, J. J. Mudd, I. Maskery, M. R. Lees, C. F. McConville, D. R. Leadley and G. R. Bell, Cryst. Growth Des. 13 (11), 4923-4929 (2013)
- J. D. Aldous, C. W. Burrows, A. M. Sánchez, R. Beanland, I. Maskery, M. K. Bradley, M. dos Santos Dias, J. B. Staunton, and G. R. Bell, Phys. Rev. B 85, 060403(R) (2012).
