Dr Anthony Phillips
Reader in Physics and Chemistry of Materials
Email: a.e.phillips@qmul.ac.ukTelephone: 020 7882 3429Room Number: G. O. Jones Building, Room 215Website: https://aephillips.net/
Profile
I was born and grew up in Perth and studied at the Universities of Sydney (B.Sc., B.A. 2007) and Cambridge (Ph.D. 2011).
In 2011 I joined the School of Physics and Astronomy at Queen Mary, where I am currently Reader in the Centre for Condensed Matter and Materials Physics.
Teaching
I currently lead the second-year module Condensed Matter A and teach on the second-year module Introduction to Scientific Computing; I originally wrote both of these modules.
Previously, I wrote and taught the Masters’ module Phase Transitions, and the second-year module Structure and Properties of Functional Materials.
Research
Research Interests:
My research focuses on the relationship between the atomic structure of materials and their functional properties. I study the structural response of materials to in situ perturbations such as changes in temperature or pressure or irradiation with light. This has included materials with negative coefficients of thermal expansion (i.e., that shrink as you heat them up) and photochromic and photorefractive materials, whose colour and refractive index change as a result of light illumination.
My work is both experimental and computational. On the experimental side much of my work takes place at central facilities, including synchrotrons and neutron sources. On the computational side I use both ab initio and empirical-potential modelling, especially using the density-functional theory code CASTEP.
I am also interested in the mathematical and computational problems that often arise in structural studies. These include problems of statistical inference (does an experimental data set provide sufficient evidence to posit a subtle structural change?), group-theoretical analysis of symmetry changes at phase transitions, and challenges associated with navigating a complex, multi-dimensional phase space when establishing a structural model and refining it against either experimental or computed data.
Examples of research funding:
My research is currently funded by EPSRC and the Royal Society, with previous support from an EPSRC First Grant. My research group includes students funded by EPSRC, STFC, and the Chinese Scholarships Council. Much of our work is done at central facilities, and we are grateful especially to STFC for providing beam time.
Publications
- Bird TA, Wilkinson MGL, Keen DA et al. (2021), undefined $nameOfConference
- Li J, Barrio M, Dunstan DJ et al. (2021), undefined $nameOfConference
- Wei Z, Jiang X, Phillips AE et al. (2021), undefined $nameOfConference
- Boström HLB, Brant WR, Phillips AE (2021), undefined $nameOfConference
- Phillips AE, Baggioli M, Sirk TW et al. (2021), undefined $nameOfConference
- Addicoat M, Bennett TD, Brammer L et al. (2021), undefined $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1039/D0FD90033H
- Gonçalves JN, Phillips AE, Li W et al. (2020), undefined $nameOfConference
- Cai G, Phillips AE, Tucker MG et al. (2020), undefined $nameOfConference
- Dove MT, Du J, Wei Z et al. (2020), undefined $nameOfConference
- Wei Z, Tan L, Cai G et al. (2020), undefined $nameOfConference
- Cai G, Phillips AE, Keen DA et al. (2020), undefined $nameOfConference
- Du J, Phillips AE, Arnold DC et al. (2019), undefined $nameOfConference
- Liu J, Phillips AE, Keen DA et al. (2019), undefined $nameOfConference
- PHILLIPS AE (2019), undefined $nameOfConference
- Yang Z, Cai G, Bull CL et al. (2019), undefined $nameOfConference
- PHILLIPS AE (2018), undefined $nameOfConference
- Phillips A, Duncan H, Dove M et al. (2017), undefined $nameOfConference
- Duncan HD, Beake EOR, Playford HY et al. (2017), undefined $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1039/C7CE01883E
- PHILLIPS AE, fortes A (2017), undefined $nameOfConference
- Walker HC, Duncan HD, Le MD et al. (2017), undefined $nameOfConference
- Thygesen PMM, Young CA, Beake EOR et al. (2017), undefined $nameOfConference
- Phillips A, Duncan H, Dove M et al. (2017), undefined $nameOfConference
- beake EOR, tucker M, dove MT et al. (2016), undefined $nameOfConference
- Evans NL, Thygesen PMM, Boström HLB et al. (2016), undefined $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b05208
- Duncan HD, Phillips AE, Dove MT et al. (2015), undefined $nameOfConference
- Widdicombe AT, Ravindrarajah P, Sapelkin A et al. (2014), undefined $nameOfConference
- Fang H, Phillips AE, Dove MT et al. (2013), undefined $nameOfConference
- Beake EOR, Dove MT, Phillips AE et al. (2013), undefined $nameOfConference
- Andritsos EI, Zarkadoula E, Phillips AE et al. (2013), undefined $nameOfConference
- Phillips AE, Cole JM, Low KS et al. (2013), undefined $nameOfConference
- Cui XY, Soon A, Phillips AE et al. (2012), undefined $nameOfConference
- Phillips AE, Cole JM, d'Almeida T et al. (2012), undefined $nameOfConference
- Phillips AE, Cole JM, d'Almeida T et al. (2010), undefined $nameOfConference
- Cole JM, Phillips A, d'Almeida T et al. (2010), undefined $nameOfConference
- Phillips AE, Halder GJ, Chapman KW et al. (2010), undefined $nameOfConference
- Phillips AE, Halder GJ, Chapman KW et al. (2010), undefined $nameOfConferenceDOI: 10.1021/ja906895j
- Phillips AE, Goodwin AL, Halder GJ et al. (2008), undefined $nameOfConference
- Phillips AE, Goodwin AL, Halder GJ et al. (2008), undefined $nameOfConference
Supervision
This is not an exhaustive list and I would be happy to discuss other project possibilities.
Project Title
High-pressure studies of crystals
Fluctuations in crystals by neutron and x-ray scattering