Course Announcement,

Structural and mechanical characterisation of materials using radiation-based methods, The course consists of 6 hours , and lectures will be  held on:

June 26th 2023, 9:00 – 12:00 (Sala Gialla – DPIA – UniUD)

June 27th 2023, 9:00 – 12:00 (Sala Gialla – DPIA – UniUD)

 

Prof. Alexander J G Lunt
Advanced Materials and Processes Centre, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath, UK

The past few decades have seen significant development in the breadth and capabilities of radiation-based characterisation methods. These approaches are often grouped into two main categories which will each be a focus of a lecture in this series:

  • Microscopy-based methods, are primarily based on the focusing of electron beams or lasers to analyse and image structures at the micro to nanoscale
  • Non-destructive methods, typically include X-ray, neutrons or ultrasound methods and provide quantitative assessment of key material parameters

These developments have coincided with substantial refinement in piezoelectric actuation and force sensing which has led to a range of microscale actuation-based methods such as nanoindentation, atomic force microscopy and nanomanipulation.

These advances and new capabilities have facilitated the development of a spectrum of novel methods to quantify the structural and mechanical response of materials. Each lecture will start with an introduction to the fundamentals and background, before moving on into a more detailed overview of recent advances, the specific methodologies required as well as relevant applications. The goal of the series is to provide attendees with an effective overview of these recent developments in order to highlight potential new applications related to their respective fields of study. Accordingly, the lectures will be interactive, and there will be a chance for questions / discussion as well as advice for tailoring the methods for specific applications.

Curriculum Vitae:

Alexander J G Lunt completed an MEng and DPhil in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, UK from 2008 to 2016. From 2016 to 2019 he was a Senior Fellow in Microscopy at CERN, Geneva Switzerland where he established the facilities first micromechanical testing facility. He joined the University of Bath in 2019 where he has developed an internationally renowned micromechanics group of 11 PhD students and 2 post-doctoral fellows, and has secured £2.5m PI, and £3m+ CoI funds for world leading research. He has recently been promoted to a Senior Lecturer and is Co-director of the Advanced Materials and Processes Centre, which is made up of 30+ academics and houses state-of-the-art materials research facilities. Prof. Lunt also leads the University’s affiliation with Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at CERN, overseeing significant research activity in accelerator physics / engineering. He has published over 80 high-impact journal papers (2k+ citations, H-index 20) and given 35 international talks in the past 5 years. Prof. Lunt’s expertise is broadly recognised; he is an editor for Materials & Design (IF=9.4), sits on numerous advisory boards, has a senior role in education within the UK and has been decorated with national and international awards.

Prof. Lunt’s research is based on microscopy and non-destructive techniques; he has secured significant (40+) synchrotron/neutron-source beamtimes and established a spectrum of novel analytical methods. He also has extensive knowledge and experience in microscopy-based methods with a particular focus on FIB-SEM techniques and microscale actuation / loading – based approaches. As a result, he has strong collaborative links with 20+ academic institutions and has received funding from leading industrial partners including Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Dowty, GKN and Carpenter Technology.