Dr. Alan Harvey

Biography

Since 2015 Senior Research Fellow, Worked as Experimental Officer in the School of Materials at the University of Manchester 2005-2015, Worked as Experimental Officer in the Physics Department at UMIST 1995-2005, PDRA in the Department of Physics at UMIST 1993-1995, PDRA in the Department of Physics at the University of Surrey 1990-1993, PhD studies in the Department of Physics at the University of Surrey (obtained PhD in Electron Microscope studies of Semiconductor materials.)1986-1990,BSc in Physics in Queen Mary College, London 1982-1985, A-levels in Physics and Mathematics 1980-1982. Dartington College of Arts. (obtained BA in 1980), A-levels in Music.

Research Interest

My PhD work involved the development of a new characterization technique for semiconductor strained layer structures. This was based on ‘the wedge technique’ whereby specimens were obtained by cleaving and looked at in the TEM through the tilted 900 corner. The precisely know geometry then enabled strain value calculations in the structure, modelling of TEM images and comparison with experimental images. I was the first to apply finite element methods to strained layer semiconductor systems for purposes of quantitative determination of strain distributions. I have investigated self-organized growth phenomena in strained III-V semiconductor hetero systems and SiGe and established a universal roughening transition curve (temperature versus strain). This work led on to investigations of strain driven compositional segregation in semiconductor quantum wells, wires and dots.I developed a code for 3-D composition analysis from EDX measurements. I have carried out investigations of bandgap states at extended defects in wide band gap semiconductors and the development of valence band electron energy loss spectroscopy (VEELS; this involved work carried out on a dedicated STEM, the NorthWest STEM at Liverpool) as well as in structural studies and investigations of surface plasmon phenomena in nanocarbons (GR/R81671), semiconductor and metal nanospheres I was co-investigator on the above grant award 'Novel electron energy loss spectroscopy of carbon, carbon-nitride and boron-carbon-nitride nanostructures', EPSRC, 2002-2005, ~£202,000 Recently I have become involved in 2-D research, I am very interested and made the initial suggestion to explore the potential of 2-D Di-chalcogenides and MXene as topological insulators.