Dr Tom Hayward

MPhys PhD

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Senior Lecturer in Materials Physics

Dr Tom Hayward
Profile picture of Dr Tom Hayward
t.hayward@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 5499

Full contact details

Dr Tom Hayward
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

Tom completed his PhD at Sidney Sussex College, the University of Cambridge, in 2007, under the supervision of the late Professor Tony Bland.

He subsequently worked in post-doctoral positions, both in Cambridge and at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, before being awarded an EPSRC Career Acceleration Fellowship entitled “Magnetism you can rely on: Understanding stochastic behaviour in nanomagnetic devices” in July 2011.

Research interests

Tom’s research is focused on studying the properties of ferromagnetic nanostructures both to gain a better understanding of their fundamental behaviour and to develop new technological applications. His work combines contemporary nano-fabrication techniques such as electron-beam lithography and thin-film deposition with high-sensitivity experimental techniques such as focused Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect (MOKE) magnetometry, Vector Network Analyser Ferromagnetic Resonance measurements (VNA-FMR) and Magnetoresistance (MR) measurements. He also has a strong interest in the simulation of magnetisation dynamics using numerical micromagnetic simulations.

Tom’s previous work has included studies of the properties of magnetic nanowire and nano-ring devices, both exciting candidates for future magnetic memory technologies. He has also developed methods of magnetically tagging probe biomolecules in high throughput biological assays, and ferromagnetic nanostructures capable of trapping and manipulating ultra-cold atoms.

His current research is focused on gaining a comprehensive, quantitative understanding of thermally activated “stochastic” behaviour in ferromagnetic nanostructures, a fundamental problem holding back the realisation of new forms of nanomagnetic technology.

Research group
Mr Alex Kirkpatrick
Mr Khalid Omari

Key projects

  • Developing methods to characterise, predict and mitigate the effects of stochastic behaviour in nanomagnetic devices.
  • Developing reconfigurable nanomagnetic systems for trapping and manipulating ultra-cold atoms.
  • Domain-wall oscillations in coupled ferromagnetic nanostructures.
  • Controlling domain wall nucleation and pinning in ferromagnetic nanowires with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.
Publications

Journal articles

Conference proceedings papers

Preprints