Dan Porter

I work in the study of novel materials and complex phenomena. By understanding the microscopic interactions of atoms in crystalline materials we hope to learn more about the fundamental nature of phenomena such as magnetic order, superconductivity, metal-insulator transitions and fast ionic transport. By forming a better understanding of these materials we can more accurately drive materials development to produce advanced technologies.

At Diamond I am working on a number of projects, mainly based around magnetic systems. Using resonant x-ray scattering on I16 we are able to determine important information about the magnetic properties of a material, including its magnetic structure and domain size. We also make use of magnetic neutron scattering by collaborating with scientists at ISIS.

I am also collaborating with research at my previous institution, Royal Holloway, on projects involving battery materials and superconductors. This involves proposing and planning experiments, analysing results and writing reports and papers.

As well as my research activities, I also perform some local contacting duties on I16, helping users perform their experiments, setting up the beamline and providing advice on experiment strategy. I also help develop the beamline, having written software for fast viewing and analysis of the data and developing techniques that extend the beamline functionality.

We are working with scientists at ISIS neutron spallation source to use magnetic neutron diffraction to complement our resonant x-ray scattering studies.

 

Suppression of thermal conductivity by rattling modes in thermoelectric sodium cobaltate
D. J. Voneshen et al. Nature Materials 12, 1028 (2013)
doi: 10.1038/nmat3739

Vacancy defects and monopole dynamics in oxygen-deficient pyrochlores
G. Sala et al. Nature Materials 13, 488-493 (2014)
doi: 10.1038/nmat3924

Crystal growth and neutron diffraction studies of LixCoO2 bulk single crystals
S. Uthayakumar et al. Journal of Crystal Growth 401, 169-172 (2014)
doi: 10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2013.11.043

Divacancy superstructures in thermoelectric calcium-doped sodium cobaltate
D. G. Porter et al. Physical Review B 90, 054101 (2014)
doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.90.054101

Two-dimensional Cs-vacancy superstructure in iron-based superconductor Cs0.8Fe1.6Se2
D. G. Porter et al. Physical Review B 81, 144114 (2015)

Magnetostriction-driven ground-state stabilization in 2H perovskites
D. G. Porter et al. Physical Review B. 94, 134404 (2016)

Magnetic anisotropy and orbital ordering in Ca2RuO4
D. G. Porter et al. Physical Review B 98, 125142 (2018)
 

Dan obtained an MPhys degree in Physics from the University of Liverpool in 2008. After this he moved to Royal Holloway, University of London to undertake a PhD in condensed matter physics, which he completed in 2012. His thesis was based around thermoelectric materials, using x-ray and neutron diffraction techniques to study their atomic and magnetic structures. In particular, he developed a reverse Monte Carlo program to determine the superstructures in several thermoelectric materials from diffraction data, and used these structural models to explain trends in the material’s bulk properties.

After his PhD he stayed at Royal Holloway as a postdoc, where he continued his research on thermoelectrics and started new projects on iron-selenide superconductors and spin-ice materials. As a postdoc at Diamond, Dan will be working on new projects, including the use of resonant x-ray scattering techniques to determine the behaviour of frustrated magnetic materials and helping with the development of the Materials and Magnetism beamline, I16.