Christopher D. Woodgate

Christopher D. Woodgate

Computational Materials Scientist

CV

Education

  • PhD, Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems, University of Warwick, 2024
    • Thesis title: “Atomic Arrangements in Multicomponent Alloys: First-Principles Theory, Atomistic Modelling, and Implications for Magnetic Properties”. Full thesis available on WRAP: https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/183055/.
    • Supervisor: Prof. Julie B. Staunton (University of Warwick).
    • Examiners: Prof. James R. Kermode (University of Warwick), Prof. Stephen B. Dugdale (University of Bristol).
    • Studentship within the EPSRC funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems (HetSys).
  • PGDip, Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems, University of Warwick, 2021
    • Including modules covering scientific software development, predictive modelling, uncertainty quantification, and machine learning. Additional courses on fluid dynamics, solid mechanics, density functional theory, and molecular dynamics.
  • BSc MMathPhys (Hons), Mathematics and Physics, University of Warwick, 2019
    • Broad selection of optional modules taken from across both Mathematics and Physics departments, with a particular focus on condensed matter physics and scientific computing.
    • Final Year Project: “Antiferromagnetic Modulations in Dipolar Ferromagnets”, supervised by Dr Nicholas d’Ambrumenil (University of Warwick).

Technical Skills

  • Programming languages
    • Fortran, C, C++, Python, Unix shell scripting, LaTeX.
  • Parallel Programming
    • Proficient with both shared and distributed memory parallelism: OpenMP, MPI. Experience with CUDA for GPU acceleration.
  • Applications
    • Microsoft Office, Mathematica, Vi/Vim, GNU Make, git (including use of GitHub).
  • Codes

Experience

  • October 2024 - Present: EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow, School of Physics, University of Bristol
    • Awarded a two-year independent research fellowship in the School of Physics at the University of Bristol. Based in the Theoretical Physics group and mentored by Prof. Nigel Wilding. My project proposes to investigate aspects of the physics of multicomponent transition metal oxides, with a particular focus on their electronic structure and magnetism. Working with a range of experimental and computational collaborators, both at Bristol and externally.
  • October 2024 - Present: CoSeC Fellow, Scientific Computing Department, Science and Technology Facilities Council
    • Career development fellowship awarded by the Computational Science Centre for Research Communities (CoSeC), which is administered by the Scientific Computing Department (SCD) of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The Centre’s aim is to supports the advancement of scientific research by developing and strengthening software to analyse and solve increasingly complex problems across multiple disciplines. This fellowship includes funding, software support, and a range of networking and collaborative opportunities.
  • October 2023 - September 2024: Research Fellow, University of Warwick
    • Based in the group of Prof. Julie B. Staunton.
    • Employed on a joint UK-US research project funded by the EPSRC (UK) and the NSF and DOE (US). The project is focussed on the design, synthesis, and manufacture of novel rare-earth-lean and rare-earth-free permanent magnets. Appointed first as a Research Assistant, then later promoted to Research Fellow following successful defence of PhD thesis.
    • I used DFT calculations, a linear-response theory, and atomistic modelling to understand the phase behaviour of these complex, magnetic alloy systems. There was close collaboration with theoretical colleagues at the University of Oxford (UK) and with experimental colleagues at Northeastern University and the University of Delaware (US).
  • October 2019 - September 2023: PhD Student, University of Warwick
    • Supervisor: Prof. Julie B. Staunton (University of Warwick).
    • Project Title: “Physics of magnets and the arrangements of atoms comprising them
    • In this project, a first principles computational modelling technique for studying atomic arrangements in multicomponent alloys was developed. Integrated within the same framework, we were able to go on to examine the effects of these atomic arrangements on a material’s magnetic properties. The approach was used to study next-generation, novel materials for a range of applications. Systems studied included Galfenol (an Fe-Ga alloy used in sensor and actuator applications), and two families of high-entropy alloys which are of interest for engineering applications including in fusion reactors. The project then moved on to study the Fe-Ni system and potential additives, working with the experimental group of Prof. Laura H. Lewis at Northeastern University (Boston, USA) with the aim of searching for candidate materials to be used as rare-earth-free permanent magnets.
  • October 2018 - July 2019: Final-Year Project Student, University of Warwick
    • Supervisor: Dr Nicholas d’Ambrumenil (University of Warwick)
    • Project title: “Antiferromagnetic Modulations in Dipolar Ferromagnets”
    • This project studied the high-field, low temperature, ferromagnetic phase of Gadolinium Gallium Garnet, a geometrically frustrated antiferromagnet. A number of aspects of the system were studied, and a measure of the modulation of the ferromagnetic state as a function of external field was delivered. The work was a combination of analytics and numerics, initially in Mathematica but also later in C for efficiency.
  • Summer 2017: URSS Student, University of Warwick
    • Supervisor: Dr Michal Kreps (University of Warwick, CERN).
    • Project Title: “Feasibility of Measurement of $\Xi_b$ Polarisation at the LHCb Experiment”.
    • This project was part of a feasibility study for the measurement of the “production polarisation” of a particular particle decay chain. The angular distribution for the particle decay chain was derived - working largely in Mathematica. Some existing C++ code was adapted to run simulations and determine the accuracy with which physical parameters could be measured.

Professional Memberships

  • Member, Institute of Physics (UK)

Publications

For information on my publications, please see the publications page of this site.

Peer Review

I have reviewed articles for a range of international physics and materials science journals, including npj Computational Materials, Physical Review Materials, Physical Review B, the Journal of Applied Physics, AIP Advances, Acta Materialia, and Scripta Materialia. Where the journal facilitates it, evidence of this review activity is typically (anonymously) recorded on my ORCID profile.

Conference Presentations

For information on my conference presentations, please see the talks page of this site.

Teaching

For information on my teaching experience, please see the teaching page of this site.

Prizes, Awards, and Funding

  • IoP Early Career Researchers Fund, Institute of Physics, UK.
    • Travel grant awarded to cover (partial) costs for attendance at 2025 APS March Meeting.
    • March 2025.
    • £300
  • Isambard 3 “Technical Preparatory Project”, Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS), University of Bristol.
    • Compute resource access during the “technical readiness” phase of deployment of Isambard 3, an EPSRC Tier 2 compute facility administered by the GW4 consortium. Isambard 3 is a new, ARM-based supercomputer consisting of 384 compute nodes, each with 2 Nividia Grace CPUs providing 144 cores/node for a total of 55,296 compute cores.
    • Project title: “Investigating the Kinetics of Tetrataenite Ordering (IKoTO)”
    • November 2024 - December 2024.
    • 8-weeks access to compute resource during techical readiness phase.
  • EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship, School of Physics, University of Bristol.
    • Independent research fellowship.
    • October 2024 - September 2026.
    • 2-years salary + £10,000 travel/consumables budget.
  • CoSeC Fellowship, Scientific Computing Department, Science and Technology Facilities Council.
    • Career development fellowship.
    • October 2024 - December 2025.
    • £3,000 discretionary budget + software support.
  • Winton Thesis Prize in Physics.
    • Prize awarded annually by the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick for an outstanding PhD thesis examined in the previous calendar year.
    • May 2024.
    • £1000.
  • PhD studentship within the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Modelling of Heterogeneous Systems (HetSys) at the University of Warwick.
    • Project title: “Physics of magnets and the arrangements of atoms comprising them” - EPSRC Grant number: 2229181
    • October 2019 - September 2023.
    • 4-year funded studentship covering tuition fees, living costs (via stipend) and including a travel and consumables budget.
  • Warwick Undergraduate Research Summer Scheme (URSS) bursary.
    • “Feasibility of Measurement of $\Xi_b$ Polarisation at the LHCb Experiment”.
    • July 2017 - August 2017.
    • £1600.

Hobbies and Interests

For information on my hobbies and interests, please see the hobbies page of this site.