A new facility will use cutting-edge analytical techniques to investigate the magnetic, electronic, and structural properties of matter.
• The ULT-NMR team: (top row, from the left) Dr Matthew Coak (Physics), Prof. Marika Taylor (Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences), Dr Mingee Chung (Physics, Principal Investigator leading the project), Prof. Andrew J. Morris (Metallurgy & Materials); (bottom row) Dr Dominik J. Kubicki (Chemistry) and Prof. Teresa Carlomagno (Biosciences, Leadership Mentor).
Backed by £2 million of EPSRC Strategic Infrastructure funding, a team of experts at the University of Birmingham will install an Ultra-Low Temperature Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ULT-NMR) instrument at the University.
Led by Dr Mingee Chung from the School of Physics & Astronomy, the interdisciplinary team also includes Dr Dominik J. Kubicki and Dr Lucy Clark (Chemistry), Prof. Andrew J. Morris (Metallurgy & Materials), and Dr Matthew Coak (Physics), and Prof. Teresa Carlomagno (Biosciences) as Leadership Mentor. Notable international partners include ISIS Neutron and Muon Source (UK), EPFL (Switzerland), and University of Paris-Saclay (France).
NMR spectroscopy, an atomic-scale probe, leverages the magnetic properties of atomic nuclei, providing a unique window into the inner workings of matter. It allows scientists to reveal insights in numerous fields such as chemistry, physics, biology, and material science.
Research enabled by the facilities will have applications in energy harvesting and storage, low-energy electronics and quantum technologies including sensing and computing.
We aim to use this technology to place the University of Birmingham at the heart of a globally competitive and inclusive environment for research on Quantum Matter Physics and Materials Chemistry.
Dr Chung commented: “We aim to use this technology to place the University of Birmingham at the heart of a globally competitive and inclusive environment for research on Quantum Matter Physics and Materials Chemistry.”
Dr Kubicki added: “We will share this exciting new research infrastructure with UK materials physics and chemistry communities to help them deliver world-leading results across these fields. EPSRC investment in this equipment at the University of Birmingham will develop a unique centre of excellence in quantum materials and materials chemistry research using NMR.”
The new ULT-NMR infrastructure at Birmingham will address a broad range of scientific challenges – from fundamental science discoveries in exotic quantum states of matter to innovative development in advanced functional materials. Research will initially focus on four Scientific Challenges:
Users of the new facility are likely to include researchers from a broad range of subjects including quantum magnetism, strongly correlated electron systems, superconductivity, and quantum devices and, on the chemistry side, gas storage, catalysis, batteries, solar cells, reticular (Metal-Organic Framework) chemistry and supramolecular chemistry.
Professor Marika Taylor, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, added: “Our aspiration is to increase the amount of world-leading research done at the University of Birmingham. For example, we have recently invested over £90M in a new Chemistry building and hired many academics in materials chemistry who will benefit from this equipment. The unique interdisciplinary mix of physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and computational expertise in the team will lead to discoveries which would not be possible in any similar facility around the world.”
For more information, please contact Press Office, University of Birmingham, tel: +44 (0)121 414 2772
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 8,000 international students from over 150 countries.
Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Profile of Professor Marika Taylor, Head of College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Birmingham
UKRI Future Leaders Fellow
Staff profile for Dr Matthew Coak.
Professor of Computational Physics
Professor Andrew Morris staff profile.
Assistant Professor in Materials Characterisation
Profile of Dr Dominik J Kubicki, University of Birmingham
Professor and Academic Lead of HWB-NMR
Teresa Carlomagno is an internationally recognized expert in the development and application of integrative structural biology (ISB) to biomolecular complexes.
