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The result of this joint effort is a precision ferroelectric (FE) tester at the Diamond Materials Characterisation Laboratory (MCL) which will characterise materials and screen samples before beamtime. The FE tester equipment was realised with the help of a Diamond apprentice who developed the electrical safety mechanism.
Senior support scientist and MCL manager, Sahil Tippireddy, devised the concept of a FE tester following requests from the user community. Sahil worked together with apprentice, Will Fleming, and senior beamline technicians, Mike Matthews and Akhil Dev Chemmayath to develop the equipment.
Will, an engineering technician apprentice, was instrumental in the project and focussed on the electronics of the safety system and the information display monitor. He used his programming skills to develop an active colour scheme as part of the safety mechanism.
Sahil commented: “This is a useful facility for the user community that can be used to characterise a variety of samples including ferroelectrics and multiferroics.”
Will is in the final stage of Diamond’s four-year apprenticeship programme. The scheme is designed to develop electrical, mechanical and electronics skills during the first two years and then specialise in either mechanical or electrical in years three and four.
He has found the apprenticeship programme to be an excellent scheme providing exposure to different technical areas as well as a great introduction to industry.
Reflecting on his experience, Will said, “I was previously working in composites in motorsports at Williams Racing but saw this scheme as an opportunity to gain exposure to different areas and create future opportunities. The programme eases you into the industry with good supervision and support, eventually allowing you to work on solo projects. The tester project was significant, with a clear end goal and purpose.”
When Will completes the scheme next year, he will prepare a portfolio that showcases his accomplishments. If successful, he could be offered a permanent position at Diamond.
Will’s electronic work was an independent project, supervised by Senior Technician Mike Matthews.
“I enjoy working with our apprentices. You get to work with a good mix of people who might be starting their careers straight out of school or have a bit more work experience like Will”, Mike said. “I have been involved in the apprenticeship scheme since it started eight years ago. The UK needs these schemes to skill up the younger generation, especially in the science industry.”
The apprenticeship programme has been a success from its first year. There are apprentices from the first intake that now have permanent positions at Diamond.
It is the consistency and dedication from the people working at Diamond that has created such as successful apprenticeship programme and offered young people like Will the chance to work on significant, purposeful projects that make a real contribution to life-changing science research.
About the Radiant Ferroelectric Tester
The Precision Multiferroic Ferroelectric Tester at the Diamond materials characterisation laboratory is a powerful tool to probe the ferroelectric properties of materials and can be used to perform hysteresis, pulse, leakage, IV, and CV measurements without changing sample connections. The rig also consists of an RTI-30 microprobe station (Radiant Technologies) with Tungsten probe tips to make contacts on thin films, single crystals and bulk samples.
About the apprenticeship programme
Diamond offers a Level 3 Engineering Technician Apprenticeship in collaboration with Abingdon & Witney College, based at the Abingdon Campus.
Our technicians and engineers play a vital role in facilitating the cutting-edge science conducted on site. Due to Diamond's advanced technology, most of the equipment designed and built here is bespoke, providing a range of diverse and intriguing experiences and opportunities that are unmatched elsewhere.
You can learn more about the programme and what it is like to work at Diamond Light Source in the Apprenticeships area of Diamond Careers.
Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
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