The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Manchester is one of the largest and most active departments of physics in the UK. We have a long tradition of excellence in both teaching and research, and have interests in most areas of contemporary research. The Department has a strong presence in a number of Manchester-based centres for multidisciplinary research: The National Graphene Institute, the Photon Science Institute, the Manchester Centre for Non-Linear Dynamics, the Dalton Nuclear Institute, and the Mesoscience and Nanotechnology Centre. In addition, the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire is a part of the Department. Research in the Condensed Matter physics group is exceptionally broad, from electronic, optical, mechanical and magnetic properties of a large family of atomically thin, two-dimensional materials and their heterostructures to the physics of quantum fluids, intercalation-induced superconductivity in layered and two-dimensional materials and mass transport through atomically thin channels in 2D-materials based membranes. The focus in 2D materials research has now shifted from studying the properties of graphene to materials on demand heterostructures assembled with atomic precision, comprising 2D crystals with a variety of electronic properties - insulators (hBN), semiconductors (phosphorene, MoS2, WSe2, etc.), superconductors (NbSe2, TaS2), 2D magnets (CrI3) which allows creating devices with desired properties, not readily available in nature. Furthermore, many new atomically thin crystals are being isolated and investigated, further expanding the library of available 2D materials with diverse and often highly desirable properties. Our research is supported by extensive cutting-edge facilities in the Schuster building and the National Graphene Institute, including clean-room microfabrication, measurements and characterisation.
