Mary Vickers

I am interested in structure property relationships. My main expertise is in X-ray scattering, from powder diffraction for phase identification, Rietveld for quantitative phase analysis and cell parameters, though a variety of techniques for texture analysis, to small angle scattering, low angle reflectivity and high resolution diffraction to characterise thin films. Originally my post was funded by my previous employer BP. I worked on polymers for BP, did SAXS on wet cellulosic fibres for Courtaulds (& now Lenzing) and some other collaborative industrial work. More recently I have been doing high resolution XRD and reflectivity on InGaN/GaN multilayers (http://www.gan.msm.cam.ac.uk/) and some perovskite structures. Now the bulk of my time is spent supporting the X-ray lab and helping people with their X-ray work. I give some of the graduate lectures on X-ray scattering.

Some recent publications

• ‘Thick lead-free ferroelectric films with high Curie temperatures through nanocomposite-induced strain’ SA Harrington, J Zhai, S Denev, V Gopalan,  H Wang, Z Bi, SAT Redfern, S-H Bark, CW Bark, C-B Eom, Q Jia, ME Vickers, JL MacManus-Driscoll Nature Nanotechnology (2011) 6 8  491

• ‘Complex phase separation in La_0.6Ca_0.4MnO₃ films revealed by electron spin resonance’ AI Tovstolytkin, VV Dzyublyuk, DI Podyalovskii, X Moya, C Israel, D Sanchez, ME Vickers, ND Mathur (2011) Phys. Rev. B 83 184404

• ‘Structural evolution and competing magnetic orders in polycrystalline GdN films’.K Senapati, T Fix, ME Vickers, MG Blamire & ZH Barber Phys. Rev. B  (2011) 83 014403

•  ‘Magnetic remanent states and quasistatic switching behavior of Fe split-rings for spin field-effect-transistor applications’ JH Lee, SN Holmes, B Hong, PE Roy, MD Mascaro, TJ Hayward, D Anderson, K Cooper, GAC Jones, ME Vickers, CA Ross, CHW Barnes Appl. Phys. Let.(2009) 95 172505

• X-ray powder diffraction and electron diffraction studies of the thortveitite-related L phase, (Zn,Mn)₂V₂O₇’ KM Knowles, ME Vickers, A Sil, Y-H Han and P Jaffrenou Acta. Cryst. (2009) B65 160

• ‘X-ray diffraction of III-nitrides’ MA Moram and ME Vickers Rep. Prog. Phys. (2009) 72 036502

• ‘Interfacial Strain-Induced Oxygen Disorder as the cause of Enhanced Critical Current Density in Superconducting Thin Films’. SC Wimbush, MC Li, ME Vickers, B Maiorov, DM Feldmann, QX.Jia, JL MacManus-Driscoll Adv. Funct. Mater. (2009) 19 1

• ‘The effect of wafer curvature on X-ray rocking curves from gallium nitride films’ MA Moram,  ME Vickers, MJ Kappers, M.J and CJ Humphreys J. Appl. Phys  (2008) 103  093528

•  ‘Threading dislocation reduction in (0001) GaN thin films using SiNx interlayers’ MJ Kappers, R Datta, RA Oliver, FDG Rayment, ME Vickers and CJ Humphreys J. Cryst. Growth 2007 30 70

• ‘Growth and characterisation of semi-polar (11(2)over-bar-2) InGaN/GaN MQW structures’ MJ Kappers, JL Hollander, C McAleese, CF Johnston, RF Broom, JS Barnard, ME Vickers, CJ Humphreys J. Cryst. Growth 2007 30 150

• ‘In-plane imperfections in GaN studied by X-ray Diffraction’ ME Vickers, MJ Kappers, R Datta, C McAleese, TM Smeeton, FDG Rayment and CJ Humphreys, J. Phys. D. Appl. Phys. 2005 38 A99-104

• ‘Structural, magnetic, electronic, and spin transport properties of epitaxial Fe₃Si/GaAs(001)’ A Ionescu, CAF Vaz, T Trypiniotis, CA Gurtler, H Garcia-Miquel, JAC Bland, ME Vickers, RA Dalgliesh, S Langridge, Phys. Rev. B 2005 71 94401

• 'Ferromagnetic spin ordering in disordered Sr₂FeMoO₆ films' A Venimadhav, ME Vickers & MG Blamire, Solid State Commun. 2004 130 9 631-636

• 'Influence of in situ and ex situ ZrO₂ addition on the properties of MgB₂' SK Chen, BA Glowacki, JL MacManus-Driscoll, ME Vickers & M Majoros, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 2004 17 2 243-248

• 'Determination of the indium content and layer thicknesses in InGaN/GaN quantum wells by X-ray scattering' M.E. Vickers, M.J. Kappers, T.M. Smeeton, E.J.Thrush, J.S. Barnard and C.J. Humphreys, J. Appl. Phys. (2003) 94 1565-1574

• 'X-Ray Diffraction from Crystalline Polymers' chapter in 'Experimental Methods in Polymer Characterisation' ed RA Pethrick and C Viney, Wiley 2003

• 'On the effect of the nature of the side chain over the crystalline structure in aliphatic polyketones' J.M. Lagaron, M.E. Vickers, A.K. Powell and J.G. Bonner, Polymer (2002) 43 1877-1886

• 'Texture development in long lengths of NiFe tapes for superconducting coated conductor' B.A.Glowacki, M.E.Vickers, N.Rutter, E.Maher, F.Pasotti, A.Baldini and R.Major, J. Materials Science, (2002) 37 157-168

• 'Small angle X-ray scattering studies on lyocell cellulosic fibres: the effects of drying, re-wetting and changing coagulation temperature' ME Vickers, NP Briggs, RN Ibbett, JJ Payne and SB Smith, Polymer (2001) 42 (19): 8241-8248

• 'Superconductivity of powder-in-tube MgB₂ wires' Glowacki BA, Majoros M, Vickers, J.E.Evetts, Y.Shi and I.McDougall, Supercond Sci Technol. (2001) 14 (4): 193-199

• 'Texture development in Pd and Ag layers on Ni-based substrates for coated conductor applications' N.Rutter, M.E.Vickers, Z.Barber, A.Bramley, B.A.Glowacki , J.E.Evetts and E.Maher, Inst. Phys. Conf. Ser. (2000) No.167 403-406

• 'The hydration of TENCEL cellulose fibres studied using contrast variation in small angle neutron scattering' J Crawshaw, ME Vickers, NP Briggs, RK Heenan, and RE , Polymer (2000) 41 1873-1881

• 'Determination of particle size and shape during the hydrolysis of Pb(Zr_0.3Ti_0.7)O₃ precursor solutions' Q Zhang , ME Vickers, A Patel and RW Whatmore J Sol-Gel Sci Techn (1998) 11 (2): 141-152

• 'Wide Angle X-ray Scattering' chapter in 'Scattering Methods in Polymer Science' ed RW Richards (1995) Ellis Horwood