معرفی
Professor Richard Needs is Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge, Fellow of Robinson College, and leads the Theory of Condensed Matter (TCM) Group within the Cavendish Laboratory. His research harnesses state-of-the-art electronic-structure techniques to predict and understand the behaviour of real materials from first principles.
Research interests span accurate quantum-mechanical modelling of solids, surfaces and defects, with particular emphasis on quantum Monte Carlo, density-functional theory, many-body perturbation theory and related methods. Current themes include high-pressure phases of hydrogen-rich systems, superconductivity driven by anharmonic phonons, and computational discovery of novel ice polymorphs and zeolite-like frameworks.
The group’s recent publications (2015–2018) demonstrate a strong focus on anharmonic nuclear motion, hydrogen-bond symmetrisation and the quest for room-temperature superconductivity in pressurised hydrides, alongside broader studies of phase stability under extreme conditions.
Current Research Team
- Dr Pablo Lopez-Rios – Post-Doctoral Fellow
- Dr Joseph Prentice – Post-Doctoral Fellow
- Dr John Trail – Post-Doctoral Fellow
- Michael Hutcheon – Research Student
- Mark Johnson – Research Student
- Alice Shipley – Research Student
- Jack Whaley-Baldwin – Research Student
The group actively collaborates with leading experimental and theoretical partners worldwide, and hosts seminars, journal clubs and the international DFT'25 conference series.
