University of Exeter | England
The University of Exeter (UNEXE) is a member of the UK’s Russell Group of leading research-intensive universities. It is ranked 13th in the UK in the 2025 Higher Education league tables (by the Times and the Sunday Times) and is amongst the world’s top 180 universities in the QS and Times Higher Education rankings.
The host department at UNEXE is the Department of Physics and Astronomy, which is the part of the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy (ESE). The Quantum Systems and Nanomaterials (QSN) group to which the UNEXE PI, Prof. Mikhail Portnoi, belongs is focused on the experimental and theoretical studies of nanostructures including carbon nanotubes, graphene, single-layer transition metal dichalcogenides, perovskites, organic semiconductors and conventional semiconductor nanoscale systems and quantum fluids. Research in the area of advance nanostructures is central to UNEXE, which is home to the Centre for Graphene Science, established by a multi-million grant from the EPSRC and £12M EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre in Electromagnetic Metamaterials.
Role and profile of key people
Prof. Mikhail Portnoi (UNEXE node PI) has broad expertise in theoretical and mathematical physics including quantum and statistical mechanics of low-dimensional systems, physics of optoelectronic nanodevices, optics of Dirac materials and theory of THz phenomena in carbon-based nanostructures. He took part in and coordinated several MSCA projects.
Dr Eros Mariani is a theoretical condensed matter physicist, expert in low dimensional systems, metamaterials and many-body quantum theory.
Prof. Saverio Russo is the head of the Quantum Systems and Nanomaterials research group and a leading scientist of the Centre for Graphene Science.
Prof. Monica Craciun is Professor of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and one of the leading researchers of the UNEXE Centres for Graphene Science and for Metamaterial Research and Innovation.
Key Research Facilities, Infrastructure and Equipment
Modern cleanroom facilities and state of art nanofabrication and characterisation equipment of the Centre for Graphene Science including NanoBeam NB4 Electron Beam System, DMO Microwriter ML Laser writer, Karl Suss MJB4 Optical Mask Aligner, Kurt J Lesker Evaporation System, HHV Auto306 Thermal Evaporator, Moorfield nanoPVD S10A, JLS Designs RIE 80 Etching System, LoadPoint Micro Ace 3 Dicing Saw, K&S 4123 and 4700 Wire Bonders, Nikon LV150 Upright Microscopes, KLA-Tencor D-100 Surface Profiler, Probe Station, Linde Helium Liquefier and several OInst. Kelvinox and Heliox cryostats.
An ultra-fast laser laboratory with regenerative amplifier which delivers pulses of mJ energy, <60 fs duration at a repetition rate of up to 300 kHz. OPA, doubling units, and a difference frequency generator enable wavelengths from the UV to the IR, the Raman spectroscopy (CARS) Lab and THz photonics Lab. Theorists will have access to the powerful UNEXE Zen Supercomputing Cluster and a local computer network in Physics with dedicated computing development officer and extensive software library.
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