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Craig Allford

Dr Craig Allford

(he/him)

Research Fellow

School of Physics and Astronomy

Overview

I am a Research Fellow in Optoelectronics at the School of Physics & Astronomy, Cardiff University. I am currently employed by the EPSRC Future Compound Semicondcutor Hub whose vision is to establish the UK as the primary global research and manufacturing hub for Compound Semiconductor (CS) Technologies.

We aim to radically boost the uptake and application of CS technology by applying the manufacturing approaches of Silicon technologies to Compound Semiconductors. Enabling wide-spread exploitation of the highly advantageous electronic, magnetic, optical and power handling properties of CS materials, while utilising the cost and scaling of advantage of Silicon technology where best suited.

My focus is on the advanced characterisation of laser diodes, and long-term degradation studies of these devices. This work allows us to understand how to improve both the performance, and operating lifetimes of III-V compound semiconductor laser diodes. For this activity we have established an extensive suite of characterisation tools and equipment, which compliment the entensive range of fabrication equipment offered at Cardiff University by the Institute for Compound Semiconductors.

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

Articles

Conferences

Thesis

Biography

Education and qualifications:
2016: PhD (Physics), Thesis: "Resonant Tunnelling in GaAs/AlGaAs Triple Barrier Heterostructure", Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
2009: BSc Theoretical and Computational Physics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

Career Overview:

July 2022 - Present: Research Fellow, School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
January 2018 - June 2022: Research Associate, School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
January 2017 - December 2017: Research Fellow, School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
January 2017 - December 2017: Honorary Research Associate, School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
May 2016 - December 2016: Research Associate, School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

Professional memberships

Member of the Institute of Physics (IoP).

Supervisions

I am interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:

  • Narrow bandgap semiconductor devices (e.g. InSb Quantum Devices).
  • Semicondcutor devices for the exploitation of Majorana Fermions.
  • Integrated Photonic Devices.
  • Advanced Laser Diode Characterisation.

Current supervision

Tom Robinson

Tom Robinson

Research student

Aisha Albeladi

Aisha Albeladi

Research student

Contact Details

Email AllfordCP1@cardiff.ac.uk

Campuses Translational Research Hub, Room 2.10, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ

Research themes

Specialisms

  • Compound semiconductors
  • Lasers and quantum electronics
  • Light Emitting Diodes (LED)
  • Quantum technologies