I was a student at Lancaster University where I studied on an integrated masters course in nuclear engineering. For my dissertation I studied helium diffusion within lithium metatitanate (a candidate material for tritium breeding). This project utilized molecular dynamics modelling to investigate the behavior of helium within the crystal lattice. Knowledge on the way helium acts within these ceramics will be necessary to implement this technology and supply nuclear fusion reactors with the necessary fuel to function.
Now, my work has shifted to a more experimental side of science. This year I have began my PhD investigating the diffusion and extraction rates of tritium within candidate tritium breeding ceramics. The work will involve ceramic synthesis, ion implantation as well as instrumentation techniques.