Dr Sam Ladak – Lab Leader
I completed my PhD from the University of Exeter in 2006. The project involved the fabrication and characterisation of magnetic tunnel junctions. After this I carried out a year in industry at Seagate technology, designing and prototyping magnetic read-heads. In 2007 I decided to go back to academia and took up postdoctoral positions at the University of York and then Imperial College where I remained for four years.
In 2012, I was awarded a personal chancellors (SBP) fellowship within the School of Physics and Astronomy with the aim of establishing a research group within the emerging field of 3D nanomagnetism. Today, the focus of my work is upon 3D magnetic nanostructure fabrication and characterisation using non-linear optical techniques.
Over the past several years I have secured > £2M of external (EPSRC) funding as well as small grants from the Royal Society, Welsh Crucible and Leverhulme Trust.
I routinely work with other academics from other leading universities (Exeter, Bristol, Southampton) as well as large international research labs (eg. IBM Zurich).
A full list of my publications and citations can be found here (Scholar) and here (Scopus)
Dr Arjen Van Den Berg
I finished my undergraduate degree at Cardiff in 2017 where my final year project focused on 3D micromagnetic simulations. After graduation I joined the group as a PhD student to continue this work alongside fabricating 3D magnetic nanowires for racetrack memory applications using two-photon lithography. I am now a postdoc in the lab working on 3DASI systems. My main area of expertise is in micro magnetic modelling using various packages. Outside of the lab, I am a keen amateur photographer and an avid musician.
Dr Joseph Askey
My name is Joe, I am currently postdoc within the 3DNano lab working upon fabrication and characterisation of structures for thermoelectrics.
Vani Lanka
Hello! My name is Vani, I have recently graduated with a Masters in Physics at Cardiff University where my final year project was to characterise ferromagnetic materials under MOKE magnetometry. My research will focus on fabricating and measuring 3D Artificial Spin-ice.
Joe Veryard
In 2022 I graduated with a Masters in Chemistry from The University of Sheffield with my final year project surrounding greening the synthesis of metal-organic framework nanosheets. I am now studying for a PhD with my research focusing on anisotropic magnetic nanoparticles and their multiferroic properties.
Alex Roberts
Alex is a first year PhD student working upon 3D artificial spin-ice.
Alumni
Alaa Hejazi
Alaa completed her PhD under Dr Sam Ladak in 2024, working upon magnetic vortex spin textures. She has now moved back to Saudi Arabia to become a full time academic.
Edward Harding
Completed his PhD under Dr Sam Ladak in 2024, working upon fabrication of 3DASI systems for synchrotron measurement.
Matthew Hunt
Completed his PhD under Dr Sam Ladak in 2018, working on the fabrication and measurement of 3D magnetic nanostructures. He continued to work with Dr Ladak as a postdoctoral research associate on an EPSRC funded project. Matthew now works upon the development of medical devices.
Andrew May
Andrew was an EPSRC funded PhD student working upon the fabrication and measurement of 3D artificial spin-ice structures. Andrew now works in data science.