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The Surface Science Group, led by Dr. Stephen Jenkins and Professor Sir David King, with Dr. Stephen Driver, Dr. Vittorio Fiorin and Dr. Stephanie Pratt, conducts research into fundamental properties and processes associated with crystalline surfaces. We focus always upon surfaces that are, in some sense, reactive: either because they readily induce chemical reactions in the molecules and atoms adsorbed at the surface; or because they themselves react in an interesting manner when subjected to an external stimulus. In recent years, we have become particularly interested in: complex interadsorbate interactions, nanoscale surface phenomena, chiral surface systems, and the tuning of reactivity and catalysis.

The group tackles its investigations through a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches. We perform experiments in ultra-high vacuum on well-defined single-crystal surfaces, using kinetic, spectroscopic, calorimetric, diffraction and scanning probe techniques. Our theoretical calculations are performed at the level of first-principles Density Functional Theory, benchmarked against experimental data. This close-coupling of experiment and theory is a unique feature of the group, and allows us to obtain a far more complete understanding of surface phenomena than either would provide alone.

Last updated 20/5/2009 by mb633 -at- cam.ac.uk