Detailed studies of the UV photochemistry and photophysics of gas phase molecules using a variety of state-of-the-art laser based techniques including H atom photofragment translational spectroscopy and velocity map ion imaging, and complementary electronic structure calculations. Current activities include extension of these methods to allow study of larger, less volatile (bio)molecules in the gas phase, the application of multimass imaging methods, and using ultrafast time-resolved pump-probe methods to explore the UV photochemistry and photophysics of such molecules in solution.

Growth and characterisation of diamond thin films grown by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). Current interest centres on exploring the gas phase and gas-surface chemistry that underpins CVD of diamond (and doped diamond) in microwave reactors using a range of laser and optical emission spectroscopy methods, plasma modelling, and QM/MM modelling of the gas-surface reactions.

Pulsed laser ablation and deposition as a route to forming nanostructured thin films, focussing particular on detailed investigations of the laser-target and laser-plume interactions through careful analysis of temporally, spatially and wavelength resolved images of optical emission from the ablation plume.

Professor Ashfold is a supervisor in the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Diamond Science and Technology.