About Me

I am a theoretical physicist and computational materials scientist, currently an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow and CoSeC Fellow in the School of Physics at the University of Bristol, UK. Here is a link to my Bristol profile. Prior to joining Bristol I was a PhD student and then a Research Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick. I maintain a visiting affiliation to Warwick through my position as an Honorary Research Fellow. Here is a link to my old Warwick homepage.

Illustration of a low-dimensional potential energy surface (left), and of fluctuating magnetic moments in a layered intermetallic compound (right).

Most broadly, I am interested in the physics of materials, both those which are of fundamental physical interest, as well as those which are of broader technological (and, consequently, societal) relevance. A lot of my research is focussed on leveraging quantum mechanical calculations (most frequently those using density functional theory, DFT) to describe how electrons arrange themselves in condensed phases. An accurate description of this so-called electronic structure can then provide fundamental insight into a range of physical phenomena, as well as lead to predictive modelling of a variety of properties for applications. Additionally, I am interested in using information gleaned from such quantum mechanical calculations to build ‘atomistic’ models of materials, where the electrons are ignored and atoms are treated as a set of point-like objects interacting with each other via some form of ‘potential’. Such atomistic models can then be used to study materials at longer length and/or time scales than would be possible using methods based on electronic structure alone. Finally, I am interested in the development of new methods for materials simulation, and in writing software implementing these methods.

Illustarations of the Bloch spectral function of a high-entropy alloy, and of a concentration wave modulating partial atomic lattice site occupancies. — Bloch spectral function and electronic density of states (DoS) of the Cantor high-entropy alloy, CrMnFeCoNi (left), and illustration of a concentration wave modulating partial atomic lattice site occupancies in a 'toy', 1D alloy (right).

Current activities focuses on the physics of alloys and magnetic systems, including high-entropy alloys and rare-earth-free permanent magnets. In these systems, I use computational modelling to help us better understand the physics of existing materials, to suggest routes by which their properties might be optimised for applications, and to propose new materials compositions with potentially desirable performance attributes. For further information about my research, teaching, and outreach, please see the other pages on this site.

Christopher D. Woodgate