Electronic structure and optical properties of lanthanide (rare-earth) materials.
Qualifications & Memberships
Research Interests
My main research interests are the electronic structure and transition intensities of visible and UV transitions within 4fN configurations and between the 4fN and 4fN-1 5d configurations of lanthanide (rare-earth) ions in various compounds. These materials have complex spectra with sharp lines and so an extremely detailed comparison between theory and experiment is possible.
In addition to their intrinsic scientific interest, lanthanide compounds have technological applications, being widely used in fluorescent lamp and TV phosphors, laser materials, and fibre-optical amplifiers.
Recent research has focused on the dynamical properties of excited states of lanthanide ions, probed by laser and x-ray techniques. We have also developed techniques to relate ab-initio calculations to spectroscopiec energy-level models.
Our current focus is on the understanding of materials that have potential for quantum-information applications, and on nanoparticles for biomedical imaging.
Recent Publications
- Martin JLB., Reid MF. and Wells JPR. (2023) Dipole–Quadrupole interactions between Sm3+ ions in KY
3 F10 nanocrystals. Journal of Alloys and Compounds 937 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.168394. - Solanki PS., Balabhadra S., Reid MF. and Wells JPR. (2023) A spectroscopic and thermometric comparison of α- And β-phase KYF
4 :Yb3+/Er3+nanoparticles. Journal of Applied Physics 133(3) http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0131207. - Balabhadra S., Wells JPR. and Reid MF. (2022) Near-infrared absorption thermometry exploiting an anomalously large spectral line-shift for the Yb3+ cubic centre in CaF
2 :Yb3+/Er3+ nanoparticles. Optics and Laser Technology 150 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.optlastec.2022.107997. - Jobbitt NL., Wells JPR. and Reid MF. (2022) Zeeman and laser site selective spectroscopy of C
1 point group symmetry Sm3+centres in Y2 SiO5 : A parametrized crystal-field analysis for the 4 f 5configuration. Journal of Physics Condensed Matter 34(32) http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1361-648X/ac711e. - Martin JLB., Wells JPR. and Reid MF. (2022) (INVITED)Zeeman interactions in lanthanide doped nanocrystals. Optical Materials: X 15 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.omx.2022.100181.