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Biography

Internationally known for: establishing the field of epioptics in Europe (optical characterisation of surfaces and interfaces); developing the first sol-gel, caged chromophore, evanescent wave optical sensor. Invited talks (last 5 years): given at seven international conferences on optical probes for surfaces, interfaces and thin films (epioptics). Over 100 peer-reviewed publications, with ~ 1400 S.C.I. citations.

Research Tags

2ND HARMONIC GENERATION Condensed matter, optical and dielectric properties ELECTRONIC-STRUCTURE ELLIPSOMETRY EPIOPTICS FILMS GLASSES HYPERPOLARIZABILITIES INTERFACES LOW-ENERGY ELECTRON DIFFRACTION (LEED) Magnetism and spin electronics METAL-SEMICONDUCTOR INTERFACES METAL-SURFACES MOLECULAR-ORIENTATION MONOLAYERS Nanotechnology OPTICAL-PROPERTIES PHOTOEMISSION QUANTUM CHAINS QUANTUM DOTS REFLECTANCE SECOND HARMONIC GENERATION Semiconductor physics and technologies SEMICONDUCTOR SURFACES SILICON Surface and interface physics Surface Physics SURFACES VICINAL SI(111) SURFACES

Research Projects

Project Title

Band structure engineering of atomic wires on semiconductor surfaces

From

1/10/2011

30/9/15

Summary

The electrical properties of nanostructures is of huge importance, because progress in ICT is driven by making electronic devices with smaller active regions that are faster and more energy efficient. Aligned atomic chains of gold have recently been grown on silicon and germanium surfaces by self-assembly. Band-gap engineering of these ultimate atomic nanostructures appears possible, but the physics is controversial. A new interface optical probe, combined with state-of-the-art calculations using high-performance computers, will be used to solve this frontiers research problem and to probe whether band-gap engineered atomic wires can be protected from degradation by capping.

Funding Agency

Science foundation Ireland

Programme

Research Frontiers Programme

Project Type

Basic research

Person Months

Project Title

Chiral structures at crystalline interfaces

From

1/7/08

30/6/11

Summary

The molecules of life are chiral. For ICT, advanced materials for biological recognition and biochemical sensing will need chiral molecular structures attached to silicon surfaces to functionalise them. Biological amino acids are levorotatory, but circular dichroism cannot detect chirality in monolayers at surfaces, as the response is very weak. Progress is slow in this important materials area. The project will grow chiral structures on crystalline silicon, gold and silver, using second-harmonic (SH) generation to detect the chirality. Femtosecond laser pulses will be amplified and tuned into electronic resonances at the SH frequency to produce measurable signals without damaging the material.

Funding Agency

SFI

Programme

Research Frontiers

Project Type

Basic Research

Person Months

Project Title

In situ characterization and control of defects at the interface between new high-k dielectric materials and silicon

From

1/6/07

31/5/10

Summary

Progress in ICT requires making electronic devices with smaller active regions, because these are faster and more efficient. Nanoscale features of 45nm on silicon are being developed, requiring SiO2 gate oxides <1nm thick, which then leak by quantum mechanical tunneling. High-k dielectrics offer the possibility of using thicker layers to deliver the required performance with the same chip architecture. Growing new, high-k gate oxide is very difficult and will be optimized by a new application of electric-field-induced second-harmonic generation to make in situ, contactless measurements of the band offset and defect density at the oxide interface during growth.

Funding Agency

SFI

Programme

Research Frontiers

Project Type

Basic Research

Person Months

Project Title

Nanoscale magnetism in atomic wires protected by capping layers

From

1/8/05

31/1/09

Summary

Progress in ICT is driven by making electronic and magnetic devices with ever smaller active regions, because these produce faster and more efficient devices. Single atomic wires of cobalt, possessing unusual magnetic properties, have been successfully grown on platinum single crystal surfaces but, to be useful, such nanowires must be capped by ultra-thin films to protect them from contamination. The interfacial region formed by capping will affect the properties of these nanoscale magnetic structures. New linear and nonlinear magneto-optic techniques, using a femtosecond laser, will be used to probe the crystallographic and magnetic structure of this critical interfacial region.

Funding Agency

SFI

Programme

Research Frontiers

Project Type

Basic Research

Person Months

Project Title

Protecting nanowires grown on planar silicon

From

1/6/06

31/5/09

Summary

Progress in ICT is driven by making electronic devices with ever smaller active regions, because these produce faster and more efficient devices. Aligned atomic wires of indium have been successfully grown on silicon single crystal surfaces by nucleation at atomic steps but, to be useful, such nanowires must be capped by ultra-thin films to protect them from contamination. The interfacial region formed by capping will have a critical effect on the properties of these nanowires. New linear and nonlinear optical techniques, using a femtosecond laser, will be used to probe the crystallographic and electronic structure of this unexplored interfacial region.

Funding Agency

SFI

Programme

Research Frontiers

Project Type

Basic Research

Person Months

Languages

Language	Skill Reading	Skill Writing	Skill Speaking
English	Fluent	Fluent	Fluent

Memberships

Membership of Professional Institutions, Associations, Societies

Details	Date From	Date To
Royal Irish Academy, Institute of Physics, American Vacuum Society, Materials Research Society

Publications and other Research Outputs

S. Banerjee, C. H. Patterson and J. F. McGilp, Group V adsorbate structure on vicinal Ge(001) surfaces determined from the optical spectrum, Applied Physics Letters, 110, (23), 2017, p233903-, Journal Article, PUBLISHED TARA - Full Text

Duignan, M.J., Cunniffe, J.P., Glans, P.-A., (...), Mcguinness, C., Mcgilp, J.F. , Temperature dependent studies of capped magnetic nanowires using XMCD, physica status solidi (b), 253, (2), 2016, p241-246 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED DOI

L. Persechini and J. F. McGilp, Probing chiral monolayers of cysteine on Au(110) using reflection anisotropy spectroscopy and second-harmonic generation, Physica Status Solidi B, 252, (1), 2015, p95 - 99, Journal Article, PUBLISHED DOI

Banerjee, S., McGilp, J.F., Patterson, C.H., Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy of clean and Sb covered Ge(001) surfaces and comparison with clean Si(001) surfaces, Physica Status Solidi (B) Basic Research, 252, (1), 2015, p78 - 86, Journal Article, PUBLISHED DOI

Lina Persechini, Ruggero Verre, Christopher M. Smith, Karsten Fleischer, Igor V. Shvets, Mukesh Ranjan, Stefan Facsko, and John F. McGilp, Optical characterisation of plasmonic nanostructures on planar substrates using second-harmonic generation, OPTICS EXPRESS, 23, (20), 2015, p26486 - 26498, Journal Article, PUBLISHED TARA - Full Text

Lina Persechini, Ruggero Verre, Christopher M. Smith, Karsten Fleischer, Igor V. Shvets, Mukesh Ranjan, Stefan Facsko, John F. McGilp, Optical characterisation of plasmonic nanostructures on planar substrates using second-harmonic generation , Optics Express, 23, (20), 2015, p26486-26498 , Notes: [DOI:10.1364/OE.23.026486], Journal Article, PUBLISHED TARA - Full Text DOI

L Persechini, R Verre, N McAlinden, J J Wang, M Ranjan, S Facsko, I V Shvets and J F McGilp, An analytic approach to modeling the optical response of anisotropic nanoparticle arrays at surfaces and interfaces, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 26, 2014, p145302-, Journal Article, PUBLISHED TARA - Full Text DOI

K. Fleischer, R. Verre, O. Mauit, R. G. S. Sofin, L. Farrell, C. Byrne, C. M. Smith, J. F. McGilp, and I. V. Shvets, Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy of magnetite (110) surfaces, Physical Review B, 89, 2014, p195118-, Journal Article, PUBLISHED TARA - Full Text URL

Jorgji, S., McGilp, J.F., Patterson, C.H., Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy of Si(111)-(3×1)Li and Ag surfaces, Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 87, (19), 2013, part. no. 195304 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED TARA - Full Text DOI

Oral Ualibek, Ruggero Verre, Brendan Bulfin, Victor Usov, Karsten Fleischer, John F. McGilp and Igor V. Shvets, Manipulating and probing the growth of plasmonic nanoparticle arrays using light, Nanoscale, 5, (11), 2013, p4923 - 4930, Journal Article, PUBLISHED TARA - Full Text DOI URL

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Awards and Honours

Award	Date
Member of the Royal Irish Academy	2003
Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin	1991
Fellow of the Instutute of Physics	1988

Research Interests

Description Of Research Interests

Surface and interface physics; epitaxial growth of nanostructured material on planar surfaces; low dimensional magnetic nanostructures. Linear and nonlinear optical response of surfaces, interfaces and ultrathin films. Optical response of capped nanostructures.

Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin

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Professor John Finlay Mc Gilp

Professor John Finlay Mc Gilp

Fellow Emeritus (Physics)

John.McGilp@tcd.ie

http://www.tcd.ie/Physics/Surfaces/research.php

Biography

Research Tags

Research Projects

Languages

Memberships

Membership of Professional Institutions, Associations, Societies

Publications and other Research Outputs

Publications

Awards and Honours

Research Interests

Description Of Research Interests