Dr Steele’s work focuses on the intersection of materials physics and optoelectronics, by studying how atomic vibrations govern physical properties. By uncovering the links between atomic motion and macroscopic behaviour, his research seeks to establish how materials can be understood and designed from the atomic scale up. This knowledge is critical for developing the next generation of optoelectronic technologies, where controlling how atoms move could be as important as controlling where the atoms are positioned.
Dr Steele spends a great deal of time working at some of the world’s most expensive and powerful scientific facilities known as synchrotrons. There he aims to reveal the structure of new materials at the atomic scale, including subtle distortions and movements that are difficult to detect with conventional techniques. These experimental observations provide the structural foundation for quantum-mechanical material simulations, allowing him to model how the atomic structure dictates the functional properties we see in the real world.
He is further able to combine these structural insights with optical measurements in the lab, across a wide range of temperatures. Cooling the materials progressively suppresses different atomic vibrations, providing a way to isolate their individual contributions. By following how the material’s optical properties respond as these motions change, Dr Steele can determine which vibrations are responsible for particular physical behaviours.
Dr Steele’s ultimate goal is to establish a predictive understanding of these materials, providing new principles for designing materials with properties tailored for future technologies.