Research Interests
Atomic scale defects are central to the mechanical, physical and failure properties of almost all structural alloys. These defects may, for example, be introduced by mechanical deformation, chemical changes or irradiation.

Felix is interested in characterising these defects and understanding the dramatic changes to material behaviour they may cause. To probe their structure and properties he uses a wide range of experimental techniques, concentrating in particular on X-ray diffraction. The short wavelength of X-rays, similar to the distance between atoms in many metals, makes them ideal for probing crystal lattice defects.

These experiments are combined with models that cover a wide range of length scales, from considering single atoms to macroscopic components. Two main topics he is currently working on are armour materials for future fusion reactors, and focussed ion beam machining for the manufacture of micro-mechanical systems.