Dr Freya Johnson is a Visiting Researcher in the Department of Physics. Her research focuses on advanced materials for ultra-fast energy-efficient computing. Dr Johnson has been using the facilities at Royce at Imperial including the Pulsed Laser Deposition, Atomic Force Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Cleanrooms and SPIN-lab to support her research. In this blog post, she discusses her research and her experience using the Royce facilities at Imperial.
Can you tell us more about your research?
I am currently working on advanced materials for ultra-fast energy-efficient computing. Current computing technologies require a constant input of energy – which is mostly wasted as heat. I am developing nitride magnetic materials that can operate 1000x faster than current computers and have reduced losses, therefore saving energy.
Why do you use the Royce facilities at Imperial for your work?
Royce at Imperial is the home of a state-of-the-art kit I couldn’t really access anywhere else, so that was a big motivating factor. Also, getting access to the Royce facilities is straightforward, and nearly everything I need is located in the same area. So, I can grow a sample in the morning and be performing structural and surface analysis on the same sample in the afternoon, without any time wasted!
Which facilities do you use at Royce?
Growth facilities (Pulsed Laser Deposition), Atomic Force Microscopy, X-ray Diffraction, Cleanrooms (Ion milling, E-beam lithography) and SPIN-lab – it is probably easier to list the facilities I don’t use!
In what ways did access to our facilities contribute to your research?
It is essential for my research. Using the facilities here has allowed me to develop new processes and new material combinations I have never tried before, with great success.
Has working at the Royce facility led to any new insights or learning experiences?
Royce offers a space to interact with other users and find out about their projects. From this, I have had many new opportunities to collaborate and learn new things, which is a massive benefit to me!
Royce at Imperial is a hub for start-ups, industry and academia to make, test and characterise materials, components and systems.
If you are interested in using the facilities, please visit the Royce at Imperial website.