David Cortie

I am a condensed matter physicist working on topological electronic materials and magnetic materials. My speciality is measuring the atomic-scale structure and excitations of materials using neutron scattering. Neutrons, as an example of a quantum beam, offer a unique perspective on the universe as they interact via nuclear forces, yielding different contrast from "common" X-rays and electrons. I use polarised neutron reflectometry to study thin-film magnets, and neutron spectroscopy to reveal magnonic and phononic features. I hold a fractional appointment at UoW, and the remainder of my time is spent as a scientist at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, where I am now co-responsible for the PLATYPUS neutron reflectometer. <br><br>I am a senior research fellow at the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials within AIIM. I am also a guest lecturer within School of Physics, EIS. I am an honorary Associate Investigator in the national ARC Centre for Excellence in Future Low Energy Electronics Technologies.<br><br>My research is focused on the electronic and magnetic properties of solid-state materials in the form of single crystals and thin films. <br><br>I study the structure-function relationship in novel compounds with applications in spintronics and thermoelectricity. Neutron reflectometry and diffraction, in tandem with electron microscopy, are used to reveal atomic-scale details. Neutron spectroscopy provides insights into the way that heat and magnetic information is transmitted via phonons and magnons in new materials. <br><br>Keywords: nanomagnetism, spintronics, strong-correlated electron systems, oxide materials, neutron spectroscopy, density functional theory, diffraction, crystallography, polarised neutron reflectometry, topological materials, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, magnetometry, magnetotransport, thermal conductivity Condensed matter physics, Condensed matter characterisation technique development, Condensed matter modelling and density functional theory, Solid state chemistry, Nanochemistry, Compound semiconductors, Materials engineering, Molecular imaging (incl. electron microscopy and neutron diffraction)