Professor Zhongfu Zhou


BSc, PhD (USTB, China), D.Phil (Oxford) Photograph of Professor Zhongfu Zhou.

Contact

Email: zzz@aber.ac.uk
Office: 207, Physical Sciences Building, Penglais Campus
Phone: (0)1970 622 804
Fax: (0)1970 622 802
Personal Web Site:http://users.aber.ac.uk/zzz

Teaching Areas

Undergraduate Modules Taught

  • PH03010: Introduction to the Physics of Matter
  • PH33420: Condensed Matter Physics
  • PH32410: Condensed Matter 1
  • PH33810: Condensed Matter 2
  • PH34040: Advanced Techniques
  • PHM3910: Advanced Topics in Materials Physics

Research

• Design, simulation and fabrication of new glassy materials: In collaboration with Prof. Neville Greaves in developing new types of glass materials with unusual properties and functionalities with the aid of large scale computer simulation and advanced visualization techniques.

• Characterization and simulation of nanodefects: Research in this field involves developing characterization techniques of combining experimental observation using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction/scattering and computer simulations to tackle the difficulties of characterizing defects and inclusions in materials.

• Structure determination of crystals using X-Ray diffraction: This was my main research field in Cardiff University. My research has been extensively involved in optimization and further development of methodological aspects of the direct-space strategy for structure solution from powder X-ray diffraction data using genetic algorithm.

• Materials design: I have interests in designing materials based on the fundamental aspects of “crystal engineering” and “defect engineering”. Molecular mechanics (MM), molecular dynamics(MD) and DFT calculations are commonly used in the design strategy. Working on this field is also focused on further development of the molecular quasicrystals first introduced in 2006.

• Developing of materials simulations packages/software: TEMACI for TEM imaging of defects, DynaDS for electron diffuse scattering from defects and impurities, EAGER for structure solution of crystals from powder X-Ray diffraction data, as well as materials visualization tools for “visualizing” the microstructures and dynamics of materials.

Biography

Zhongfu is a graduate of the University of Science & Technology Beijing, China (B.Sc. in Physical Chemistry of Metallurgy and Materials (Rare-Earth Engineering), 1992; Ph.D in Physical Chemistry of Metallurgy and Materials, 1998). He obtained his D.Phil. in Materials Science from the University of Oxford in 2005. Before moving to the UK, Zhongfu worked as a lecturer at the university he graduated from, and technology director and production manager in a company in China for short periods. In 2002, he started his D.Phil. study in Oxford. After finishing his D.Phil. study in Oxford in 2005, Zhongfu joined Prof. Kenneth Harris’ research group at the School of Chemistry, Cardiff University as a research associate, and then he was appointed as a permanent research fellow in Cardiff University since 2008. Zhongfu moved to Aberystwyth in 2010 to work for IMAPS and CAFMaD. He is also a visiting fellow to the Department of Materials, University of Oxford since 2006, and is a distinguished professor of Shanghai University, China since 2011.

Staff Publications

  • Direct selective extraction of titanium suicide Ti(5)Si(3) from multi-component Ti-bearing compounds in molten salt by an electrochemical process.X. Zou, X. Lu, Z. Zhou, C. Li & W. Ding (2011), Electrochimica Acta 56, 8430-8437
  • A direct electrochemical route from oxides to Ti-Si intermetallics.X. Zou, X. Lu, C. Li & Z. Zhou (2010), Electrochimica Acta 55, 5173-5179
  • Arrays of P=O dipoles as a recurrent structural motif in bis-diphenylphosphine oxides, established from powder X-ray diffractionG.K. Lim, Z. Zhou, K. Fujii1, P. Calcagno, E. Tedesco, S. J. Kitchin, B. M. Kariuki, D. Philp, K.D.M. Harris (2010), Crystal Growth & Design, 10, 3814-3818
  • ADF STEM imaging of screw dislocations viewed end-on E.C.Cosgriff, P.D. Nellist, P.B. Hirsch, Z. Zhou, D.J.H.Cockayne(2010), Phil. Mag., 90, 4361-4375
  • Multiple-fragment representations of molecular geometry in direct-space structure solution from powder X-ray diffraction data using genetic algorithmsZ. Zhou, K. D. M. Harris (2009), Comp. Mat.. Sci. 45, 118-121
  • Optimizing the Number of Components in a Molecular Quasicrystal: A Three-Component System Based on a Penrose Tiling
    Z. Zhou, K. D. M. Harris  (2008), J. Phys. Chem.C 112, 16186-16188
  • Counteracting Stagnation in Genetic Algorithm Calculations by Implementation of a Micro Genetic algorithm Strategy: Applications in Direct-Space Structure Solution from Powder X-ray Diffraction Data.
    Z. Zhou, K. D. M. Harris  (2008), PCCP, 10, 7262-7269
  • Residue-Based Charge Flipping: A New Variant of an Emerging Algorithm for Structure Solution from X-ray Diffraction Data.
    Z. Zhou, K. D. M. Harris (2008), J. Phys. Chem. A 112, 4863-4868
  • Determination of the sign of screw dislocations viewed end-on by weak-beam diffraction contrast.
    P. B. Hirsch, Z. Zhou, D. J. H. Cockayne, (2007), Phil. Mag. 87,  5421-5434.
  • Advantages of a Redefinition of Variable-Space in Direct-Space Structure Solution from Powder X-Ray Diffraction Data.
    Z. Zhou, V. Siegler, E. Y. Cheung, K. D. M. Harris, S. Habershon, R. L. Johnston (2007),  ChemPhysChem. 8, 650-653.
  • Diffraction imaging and diffuse scattering by small dislocation loops.
    Z. Zhou, S. L. Dudarev, M. L. Jenkins, A. P. Sutton, and M. A. Kirk (2007),  J. Nucl. Mater, 367-370, 305-310.
  • Design of a molecular quasicrystal.
    Z. Zhou, K. D. M. Harris  (2006),  ChemPhysChem. 7, 1649-1653.
  • Highlighted by Chemical & Engineering News as 'The first molecular quasicrystal is designed' 84, 2006.
    Simulation of TEM weak-beam images of small dislocation loops by the many-beam Howie-Basinski equations.
    Z. Zhou, S. L. Dudarev, M. L. Jenkins, A. P. Sutton and M. A. Kirk (2006), Phil. Mag. 86, 4851-4881.
  • Electron microscope weak-beam imaging of stacking fault tetrahedral: observations and simulations.
    M. L. Jenkins, Z. Zhou, S. L. Dudarev, A. P. Sutton, and M. A. Kirk (2006),  J. Materi. Sci., 41, 4445-4453.
  • Diffuse elastic scattering of electrons by individual nanometer-sized dislocation loops.
    M. A. Kirk, M. L. Jenkins, Z. Zhou, R. D. Twesten, A. P. Sutton, S. L. Dudarev and R. S. Davidson (2006)  Phil. Mag., 86, 4797-4808.
  • Simulations of electron elastic diffuse scattering patterns from individual nanometre-sized dislocation loops: I. Kinematical approach.
    Z. Zhou, A. P. Sutton, S. L. Dudarev, M. L. Jenkins and M. A. Kirk (2005), Proc. Roy.. Soc. A, 461, 3935-3953.
  • On the atomic displacement fields of small interstitial dislocation loops’,
    Z. Zhou, S. L. Dudarev, M. L. Jenkins, A. P. Sutton and M. A. Kirk (2004), Materials Science & Engineering: A. ,  400-401, 80-83.
  • Simulations of electron diffraction contrast images of nanometer-sized dislocation loops.
    Z. Zhou, S. L. Dudarev, M. L. Jenkins, A. P. Sutton (2004), MRS Proceedings 792, 491-496.
  • Acomparison of the Column Approximation and the Howie-Basinski approach in simulations of TEM images under weak-beam conditions.
    Z. Zhou, S. L. Dudarev, M. L. Jenkins and A. P. Sutton (2003), Inst. Physics Conf. Ser. 179, 203-206.