I study electronic states at metal surfaces, with a focus on the dynamics of excitations in surface bands whose femtosecond lifetimes reveal a wealth of key quantum physics, such as electron-electron scattering, screening, interactions with lattice vibrations. A particular focus is lifetime signatures in scanning tunneling spectroscopy, using ab-initio DFT codes, Green functions scattering models and many-body GW theory.

Nanoscale structures occupy the regime between atomic-like systems and extended solids, exhibiting strong interplay between structural dimensions and physical properties and with it the potential for novel behaviour. I am interested in the quantum physics of supported nanostructures using electronic structure methods to study the consequences of quantum confinement, substrate coupling and the use of nanostructures as quantum laboratories.

I am interested in the development and application of variational embedding methods for electronic structure problems, including quantum confined systems, surfaces coupled to extended substrates, and for studying transport through nanostructures. I am also interested in the extension of variational embedding theory to the equations of relativistic quantum theory.