Experimental Equipment Call - University of Leeds

该提案的目标是在活动中更新和更新实验设备的关键项目，以符合利兹大学医学工程和先进材料的成熟优势和临界质量。医学和生物工程研究所拥有世界上最大和最先进的肌肉骨骼模拟设施。新的模拟器将支持我们的三个战略研究挑战：更持久的关节置换；组织修复用再生装置和生物支架；先进的仿真系统，用于虚拟分析、设计和临床前测试。它们将提供增强的功能，允许开发和引入SAFER（分层方法增强可靠性）模拟方法，以满足分层和个性化医疗设备、生物材料和支架的要求。这些模拟器将用于研究人工关节的摩擦学和磨损，验证用于预测功能的新型计算方法，研究磨损碎片和支持生物相容性研究以及使用最新开发的方法研究天然关节中生物支架的摩擦学。我们在太赫兹（THz）频率电子和光子学方面的研究在任何标准下都是国际领先的。这些活动大多需要最先进的专用MBE半导体生长系统。新的MBE系统将使我们能够保护英国在该领域的国际声誉，特别是在太赫兹频率量子级联激光器（qcl）的发展和开发方面。在接下来的五年里，我们将：在1-5太赫兹范围内开发最先进的太赫兹qcl，最大限度地提高工作温度、连续波性能、输出功率和增益带宽；开发设计成坚固的设备架构的太赫兹qcl，例如用作地球观测和行星科学任务中的局部振荡器；开发紧凑的基于qcl的台式技术，为非线性太赫兹科学产生强烈、窄带和精确可控的脉冲；开发用于腔qed实验的自组织量子棒结构，以及新型光泵浦、垂直腔表面发射的室温太赫兹激光器。利兹电子显微镜和光谱学（LEMAS）中心是一个非常成功的共享电子显微镜设施。它在国内（自2008年以来为外部用户提供EPSRC开放访问计划）和国际上（领导在SuperSTEM Daresbury组建英国设施的联盟）具有很高的知名度。下一个巨大的挑战之一是将高分辨率成像和微分析技术应用于光束敏感材料，包括由有机和无机成分组成的先进混合材料。它们越来越多地用于开发新的设备和产品功能。新显微镜的规格是独特的，设计用于在高加速电压下快速绘制冷冻标本，以保留其化学和结构，同时提取纳米结构信息。我们在自旋电子学和磁性材料方面获得国际认可，最近的任命将我们的材料专业知识扩展到有机分子，压电，拓扑绝缘体和超导体。新的沉积工具将确保我们能够继续为英国和国际上提供高质量的薄膜材料，并支撑自旋电子超材料的总体主题。超材料的功能特性是通过对组成材料组合的设计和工程来实现的。凭借我们广泛的背景，包括在纳米尺度上构建材料的能力，从而产生合作行为，我们将把这种能力应用于战略领域的问题，如新技术的量子效应，超越CMOS电子，节能电子和医疗保健的新工具。

The objective of this proposal is to refresh and update key items of experimental equipment in activities aligned to proven strengths and critical mass in Medical Engineering and Advanced Materials at the University of Leeds.The Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering hosts the largest and most advanced musculoskeletal simulation facility in the world. The new simulators will support three of our strategic research challenges: longer lasting joint replacements; regenerative devices and biological scaffolds for tissue repair; and, advanced simulation systems for virtual analysis and design and preclinical testing. They will deliver enhanced functionality, allowing the development and introduction of SAFER (Stratified Approaches For Enhanced Reliability) simulation methods to address the requirements of stratified and personalized medical devices, biomaterials and scaffolds. The simulators will be used for research into the tribology and wear of artificial joints, validation of novel computational methods for prediction of function, studies of wear debris and supporting biocompatibility research and studies of the tribology of biological scaffolds in natural joints, using recently developed methods.Our research in terahertz (THz) frequency electronics and photonics is internationally leading by any criterion. Much of this activity requires a state-of-the-art and dedicated MBE semiconductor growth system. The new MBE system will allow us to protect the UK's international reputation in this field and, in particular, in the growth and exploitation of THz frequency quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). Over the next five years we will: develop state-of-the-art THz QCLs across the 1-5 THz range, maximizing operating temperature, continuous-wave performance, output power, and gain bandwidth; develop THz QCLs engineered into robust device architectures for use as, for example, local oscillators in earth-observation and planetary science missions; develop compact bench-top QCL-based technologies producing intense, narrowband and precisely controllable pulses for non-linear THz science; and, develop self-organised quantum rod structures for cavity-QED experiments, and new optically-pumped, vertical-cavity surface-emitting room temperature THz lasers.The Leeds Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy (LEMAS) Centre is a highly successful shared electron microscopy facility. It has high visibility nationally (providing an EPSRC open access scheme for external users since 2008) and internationally (leading the consortium that formed the UK facility at SuperSTEM Daresbury). One of the next great challenges is apply high-resolution imaging and microanalytical techniques to beam sensitive materials, including advanced hybrid materials comprising organic and inorganic components. These are increasingly employed to develop new device and product functionalities. The specification of the new microscope is unique and designed to enable fast mapping of frozen specimens at high accelerating voltage to preserve their chemistry and structure whilst extracting nanostructural information.We are internationally recognised in spintronics and magnetic materials, with recent appointments extending our materials expertise to include organic molecules, piezoelectrics, topological insulators and superconductors. The new deposition tool will ensure we can continue to supply top quality thin film materials to the UK and internationally, as well as underpinning a general theme of spintronic meta-materials. The functional properties of meta-materials emerge through the design and engineering of the constituent material combinations. With our broad background that includes the ability to structure materials at the nanoscale so that cooperative behaviour arises, we will apply this capability to questions in strategic areas such as quantum effects for new technology, beyond CMOS electronics, energy efficient electronics, and new tools for healthcare.