Ben Ruck from the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology at Victoria University Wellington in New Zealand is using soft x-ray techniques at the AS to investigate the electronic structure of a zinc oxide material with spintronics potential. 

Zinc oxide is probably best known as an ingredient in sunscreens, cosmetics and skin care products, although it also has quite a few heavier industrial applications.

Click here for more information about Ben's work.

Left (L-R): PhD students Tanmay Maity and Do Le Binh with ‘spin doctor’ Ben Ruck and the vacuum system in Wellington that the group use to grow europium nitride. Image: Ben Ruck