Dr Howard Snelling

Dr Howard Snelling

Senior Lecturer in Physics

Faculty and Department

  • Faculty of Science and Engineering
  • School of Natural Sciences

Qualifications

  • BSc (University of Hull)
  • PhD / DPhil (University of Hull)

Summary

Programme director for BSc and MPhys Physics

Howard came to study his BSc in the Department of Applied Physics at Hull to pursue his interest in lasers.

After gaining a BSc in Applied Physics with Laser Technology in 1989, he was awarded a PhD scholarship by Lumonics Ltd to develop photoswitched gas lasers under the supervision of Prof Peter Dyer.

Howard gained his PhD in 1993 and was then engaged in various postdoctoral positions involving applications of lasers, particularly micromachining.

In 2001, he was appointed as lecturer to develop a taught MSc programme, Laser Applications in Micromachining and Processing (LAMP), which he successfully ran for a number of years. As of 2022 he is now a Senior Lecturer in Physics (30% FTE) and works as the Advanced Development Stream manager (70% FTE) for Luxinar Ltd.

Lecture courses

- Lasers in science and materials processing

- Applied Physics techniques

Laboratory classes

- Experimental Techniques Laboratory (semester 1)

- Experimental Techniques Laboratory (semester 2)

Recent outputs

View more outputs

Journal Article

Developing undergraduate practical skills and independence with 'at home practical kits'

Hubbard, K., Henri, D., Scott, G., Snelling, H., & Roediger, E. (in press). Developing undergraduate practical skills and independence with ‘at home practical kits’. International journal of science education, https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2024.2311087

Experimental evidence for the molecular molybdenum fluorides MoF to MoF6: a matrix isolation and DFT investigation

Sakr, A., Snelling, H. V., & Young, N. A. (2022). Experimental evidence for the molecular molybdenum fluorides MoF to MoF6: a matrix isolation and DFT investigation. New journal of chemistry = Nouveau journal de chimie, 46(20), 9666-9684. https://doi.org/10.1039/d1nj06062g

Searching for Monomeric Nickel Tetrafluoride: Unravelling Infrared Matrix Isolation Spectra of Higher Nickel Fluorides

Li, L., Sakr, A. K., Schlöder, T., Klein, S., Beckers, H., Kitsaras, M., …Riedel, S. (2021). Searching for Monomeric Nickel Tetrafluoride: Unravelling Infrared Matrix Isolation Spectra of Higher Nickel Fluorides. Angewandte Chemie, 60(12), 6391-6394. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202015501

Enhanced chemical etch rate of borosilicate glass via spatially resolved laser-generated color centers

Serkov, A. A., & Snelling, H. V. (2020). Enhanced chemical etch rate of borosilicate glass via spatially resolved laser-generated color centers. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 53(13), Article 135306. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/ab6515

Laser sintering of gravure printed indium tin oxide films on polyethylene terephthalate for flexible electronics

Serkov, A., Snelling, H. V., Heusing, S., & Martins Amaral, T. (2019). Laser sintering of gravure printed indium tin oxide films on polyethylene terephthalate for flexible electronics. Scientific reports, 9(1), Article 1773. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-38043-y

Research interests

Optical Physics

Lasers

Light-matter interactions

Laser Applications

Applied Physics

Lead investigator

Project

Funder

Grant

Started

Status

Project

Laplacian Magic Windows

Funder

The Leverhulme Trust

Grant

£123,828.00

Started

1 September 2017

Status

Complete

Project

Ultrashort Pulse Laser Micromachining Centre (USP-LMC): Scoping studies for new laser interaction regimes

Funder

EPSRC Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council

Grant

£45,335.00

Started

1 March 2017

Status

Complete

Project

H2020 SC-Climate - INFINITY

Funder

EC European Commission

Grant

£514,486.00

Started

1 January 2015

Status

Complete

Co-investigator

Project

Funder

Grant

Started

Status

Project

Prosperity Partnerships: EPSRC, Business and Universities

Funder

EPSRC Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council

Grant

£632,325.00

Started

1 November 2017

Status

Ongoing

Project

Heterogeneous Fibre Optic sensor Arrays to Monitor Composite Manufacture

Funder

EPSRC Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council

Grant

£700,042.00

Started

1 September 2022

Status

Ongoing

Postgraduate supervision

Howard welcomes applications in the areas of lasers, laser-material interactions and optical physics.

PhD and MSc students (as main supervisor)

- Jonathan Proctor, Ultrashort laser interactions with aluminium, (in progress as MSc by research)

- Alexandra Bridgwater, Analysis of laser-produced fume, MSc by research, (2020)

- Dr Jack Eden, Laser interactions with thin films for flexible electronics (2019)

- Dr Paola de Bono, jointly supervised as a DocEng student at The Welding Institute (2015)

- Dr Matthew Leach, Radio frequency excited carbon dioxide laser processing of carbon fibre reinforced composites : experimental and theoretical analyses of the fume content and expansion dynamics (2014)

- Dr Bibi Safia Haq, Laser structuring of materials for biomedical applications (2012)

- Dr Abigail Marchant, Experimental and theoretical studies of surface and volume changes in dielectrics induced by long-pulse RF CO₂ laser irradiation (2012)

- Dr Robin Scott, Development of environmental water monitors based on hydrostatic and flourescence detection techniques (2009)

- Dr David Whitehead, Pulsed laser interactions with protective polymer coatings of optical fibres (2005)

Membership/Fellowship of professional body

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

2022

Member of the Institute of Physics

2022

Scholarship role

Faculty Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education

2022

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