Advances in laser technology have facilitated the experimental analysis of atomic structure and electron dynamics in unprecedented detail. Typically, now, we are interested in dynamics which occur on the attosecond scale (1 as = 10^-18 s), which is the fundamental time scale of electronic motion in the atom. These dynamics underpin macroscopic processes such as photosynthesis and chemical reactions more generally.

Theoretical methods capable of describing attosecond scale electronic motion typically adopt a classical approach where an electron is driven by a laser field in the net potential of the residual ion. However, the RMT (R-Matrix with Time) method pioneered at QUB allows us to address the interaction of all the electrons in an atomic system. It is these multielectron interactions which mediate ultrafast dynamics and thus it is imperative to address them accurately.

For the last ten years my research has focused on extracting experimental observables from the detailed ab-initio calculations performed with RMT. To this end I have investigated several cutting-edge experimental schemes using the RMT approach, including attosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, strong-field rescattering, XUV initiated high harmonic generation and photoelectron spectroscopy.

Recently my work has been addressed at developing the software tools used for this research. Historically, the scientific computing community has focused on delivering immediate scientific insight, oftentimes at the expense of sustainable development. This has resulted in software that is disjointed, difficult to use, and ultimately unsustainable. With the award of my recent EPSRC Research Software Engineering fellowship I am hoping to address these issues and ensure that the incredible software developed by my colleagues delivers scientific impact for decades to come.