School of Physical Sciences

World-Class Infrastructure and High-Impact Innovation

The School of Physical Sciences bridges fundamental research and real-world industrial applications through state-of-the-art facilities, active enterprise partnerships, and interdisciplinary breakthroughs.

Open-Access Research Infrastructure

Our new advanced facilities, supported by Research Ireland Infrastructure grants, deliver specialised analytical capabilities available to academic researchers and industry partners:

• AM-CHAMP (Advanced Material Characterisation and Imaging Tool): Led by Prof. Karsten Fleischer, this operational facility provides high-resolution surface chemical composition mapping and electronic property characterisation, including XPS, HAXPES, SEM, LEIPS, UPS, REELS, and Raman spectroscopy, to accelerate materials discovery and device integration. 

• Atomic Layer Etching Diagnostic Platform (ALE-DP): Led by Prof. Deborah O’Connell, this nationally unique open-access facility will integrate an extensive suite of real-time diagnostic tools—including in-vacuo XPS, optical emission spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence, and in-situ ellipsometry—to analyze and optimise atomic-precision plasma etching for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Recent Research Highlights & Industry Partnerships

Our research drives solutions across technology, sustainability, and health:

• Micro-Display & Semiconductor Engineering: Collaborating with Meta Reality Labs, Dr. Rob O’Connor’s team utilizes plasma processing and specialised surface spectroscopy to diagnose and repair sidewall defects in micro-LEDs, improving brightness and energy efficiency for next-generation augmented reality displays. Additionally, Dr. Stephen Power uses AI-inspired algorithms to model reconfigurable superlattices for programmable two-dimensional quantum electronics. For industrial plasma control, Prof. Timo Gans and collaborators work with partners like Inficon and the I-Form Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre to develop nanosecond sensing technologies for real-time process monitoring.

• Circular Economy & Sustainable Systems: Dr. Sean Kelly leads research on electrode-free microwave plasma systems for electrification and nitrogen fixation, using renewable electricity to enable zero CO₂ emissions fertiliser production. Dr. Jennifer Gaughran co-leads the PUreTex initiative, using microwave technology to chemically recycle post-consumer textile waste into polyurethane insulation materials. In aquaculture, Prof. Enda McGlynn leads the NanoSA project, deploying nanostructured materials for rapid pathogen detection in fish farming to prevent livestock loss and reduce food supply chain waste.

• Astrophysics & Data Analytics: Dr. David Long combines machine learning algorithms with magnetohydrodynamic modeling to analyze over 13 years of solar observations, tracking particle acceleration and elemental abundance to uncover the origin of solar energetic particle events.

• Engaged Research & Education: As a PI in the Rínn: Semiconductors research centre, Dr. Eilish McLoughlin focuses on engaged research, STEM educational interventions, and public outreach to support the semiconductor sector. The project collaborates with key stakeholders to build capacity in physics and engineering education while actively promoting diversity and widening the participation of women and underrepresented groups.

We actively invite industry leaders, enterprise partners, and international research collaborators to engage with our team and leverage our open-access infrastructure to drive the next wave of technological innovation.