Centre Overview

The Applied Physics and Materials (APM) research grouping in the Department of Physics combines a newly formed effort in Sustainable Advanced Materials (the Sêr SAM Program) with Nanomaterials & Biospectroscopy and Biomimetics. The research of the APM group is predominantly experimental with additional supporting simulation and theory efforts. It is highly multidisciplinary spanning fundamental and applied research in areas such as solar energy conversion, sensing, photodetection, bioelectronics, low embodied energy semiconductors and ancillary electronic materials, nanoscale characterisation, biomimetic materials, bioimaging, biospectroscopy and cancer detection.

The APM group collaborates with colleagues from across the departments of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and has close links with regional and national industries and government organisations. APM activities are funded from a diverse range of sources including RCUK, Welsh European Funding Office, Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research Wales and Innovate UK. APM research has led to the spin-out of several start-up companies and has strong ties to the University’s Centre for Nanohealth facility which incorporates our state-of-the-art laboratories.  Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the research, our diverse research staff and students come not only from Physics, but also from Chemistry, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering and Biophysics.

The new Sêr SAM programme funded by the Welsh Government and European Regional Development Fund focuses on the physics of advanced materials with low embodied energy for applications in optoelectronics and bioelectronics. Particular areas of interest and expertise are next generation semiconductors, hybrid conducting electronic-ionic materials, photodetection and solar energy.