Professor Ben Powell
Professor

Ben Powell

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52401

Background

This is an automatically generated university page - my real website is https://people.smp.uq.edu.au/BenPowell/

Availability

Professor Ben Powell is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Chemical Sciences Condensed matter physics

Search Professor Ben Powell’s works on UQ eSpace

143 works between 1976 and 2025
All (143) Journal Article (130) Book Chapter (3) Conference Publication (8) Other Outputs (2)

61 - 80 of 143 works

2016

Book Chapter

Understanding melanin: a nano-based material for the future

Mostert, A. B., Meredith, P., Powell, B. J., Gentle, I. R., Hanson, G. R and Pratt, F. L. (2016). Understanding melanin: a nano-based material for the future. Nanomaterials: science and applications. (pp. 175-202) edited by Deborah Kane, Adam Micolich and Peter Roger. Boca Raton, FL, United States: Pan Stanford. doi: 10.1201/b20041-8

Understanding melanin: a nano-based material for the future

2015

Journal Article

Breakdown of the universality of the Kadowaki-Woods Ratio in multi-band metals

Cavanagh, D. C., Jacko, A. C. and Powell, B. J. (2015). Breakdown of the universality of the Kadowaki-Woods Ratio in multi-band metals. Physical Review B, 92 (19) 195138. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.92.195138

Breakdown of the universality of the Kadowaki-Woods Ratio in multi-band metals

2015

Journal Article

Interplay of zero-field splitting and excited state geometry relaxation in fac-Ir(ppy)3

Gonzalez-Vazquez, Jose P., Burn, Paul L. and Powell, Benjamin J. (2015). Interplay of zero-field splitting and excited state geometry relaxation in fac-Ir(ppy)3. Inorganic Chemistry, 54 (21), 10457-10461. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b01918

Interplay of zero-field splitting and excited state geometry relaxation in fac-Ir(ppy)3

2015

Journal Article

Theories of phosphorescence in organo-transition metal complexes - From relativistic effects to simple models and design principles for organic light-emitting diodes

Powell, B. J. (2015). Theories of phosphorescence in organo-transition metal complexes - From relativistic effects to simple models and design principles for organic light-emitting diodes. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 295, 46-79. doi: 10.1016/j.ccr.2015.02.008

Theories of phosphorescence in organo-transition metal complexes - From relativistic effects to simple models and design principles for organic light-emitting diodes

2015

Journal Article

Conservation laws, radiative decay rates, and excited state localization in organometallic complexes with strong spin-orbit coupling

Powell, B. J. (2015). Conservation laws, radiative decay rates, and excited state localization in organometallic complexes with strong spin-orbit coupling. Scientific Reports, 5 (1) 10815, 1-11. doi: 10.1038/srep10815

Conservation laws, radiative decay rates, and excited state localization in organometallic complexes with strong spin-orbit coupling

2015

Journal Article

Phase diagram of the spin-1/2 triangular J1-J2 Heisenberg model on a three-leg cylinder

Saadatmand, S. N., Powell, B. J. and McCulloch, I. P. (2015). Phase diagram of the spin-1/2 triangular J1-J2 Heisenberg model on a three-leg cylinder. Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics), 91 (24) 245119, 245119.1-245119.11. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.91.245119

Phase diagram of the spin-1/2 triangular J1-J2 Heisenberg model on a three-leg cylinder

2015

Journal Article

Emergence of quasi-one-dimensional physics in a nearly-isotropic three-dimensional molecular crystal: ab initio modeling of Mo3 S7(dmit)3

Jacko, A. C., Janani, C., Koepernik, Klaus and Powell, B. J. (2015). Emergence of quasi-one-dimensional physics in a nearly-isotropic three-dimensional molecular crystal: ab initio modeling of Mo3 S7(dmit)3. Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 91 (12) 125140, 1-5. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.91.125140

Emergence of quasi-one-dimensional physics in a nearly-isotropic three-dimensional molecular crystal: ab initio modeling of Mo3 S7(dmit)3

2015

Other Outputs

When is the Kadowaki-Woods ratio universal?: Supplementary Material

Cavanagh, D. C., Jacko, A. C. and Powell, B. J. (2015). When is the Kadowaki-Woods ratio universal?: Supplementary Material. The University of Queensland. (Dataset)

When is the Kadowaki-Woods ratio universal?: Supplementary Material

2014

Journal Article

Haldane phase in the hubbard model at 2/3-filling for the organic molecular compound Mo3 S7 (dmit)3

Janani, C., Merino J., McCulloch, I. P. and Powell, B. J. (2014). Haldane phase in the hubbard model at 2/3-filling for the organic molecular compound Mo3 S7 (dmit)3. Physical Review Letters, 113 (26) 267204, 267204-1-267204-5. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.267204

Haldane phase in the hubbard model at 2/3-filling for the organic molecular compound Mo3 S7 (dmit)3

2014

Journal Article

Low-energy effective theories of the two-thirds filled Hubbard model on the triangular necklace lattice

Janani, C., Merino, J., McCulloch, Ian P. and Powell, B. J. (2014). Low-energy effective theories of the two-thirds filled Hubbard model on the triangular necklace lattice. Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 90 (3) 035120, 035120-1-035120-10. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.90.035120

Low-energy effective theories of the two-thirds filled Hubbard model on the triangular necklace lattice

2014

Journal Article

Spin-liquid phase in a spatially anisotropic frustrated antiferromagnet: a Schwinger boson mean-field approach

Merino, Jaime, Holt, Michael and Powell, Ben J. (2014). Spin-liquid phase in a spatially anisotropic frustrated antiferromagnet: a Schwinger boson mean-field approach. Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 89 (24) 245112. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.89.245112

Spin-liquid phase in a spatially anisotropic frustrated antiferromagnet: a Schwinger boson mean-field approach

2014

Journal Article

Synthesis and properties of pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole-1,4-diones (isoDPP) derivatives

Gendron, David, Gann, Eliot, Pattison, Katherine, Maasoumi, Fatemeh, McNeill, Christopher R., Watkins, Scott E., Burn, Paul L., Powell, Benjamin J. and Shaw, Paul E. (2014). Synthesis and properties of pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole-1,4-diones (isoDPP) derivatives. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 21 (2), 4276-4288. doi: 10.1039/c4tc00427b

Synthesis and properties of pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyrrole-1,4-diones (isoDPP) derivatives

2014

Journal Article

Spin-liquid phase due to competing classical orders in the semiclassical theory of the Heisenberg model with ring exchange on an anisotropic triangular lattice

Holt, Michael, Powell, Ben J. and Merino, Jaime (2014). Spin-liquid phase due to competing classical orders in the semiclassical theory of the Heisenberg model with ring exchange on an anisotropic triangular lattice. Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 89 (17) 174415. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.89.174415

Spin-liquid phase due to competing classical orders in the semiclassical theory of the Heisenberg model with ring exchange on an anisotropic triangular lattice

2014

Journal Article

Brain Organization and Habitat Complexity in <i>Anolis</i> Lizards

Powell, Brian J. and Leal, Manuel (2014). Brain Organization and Habitat Complexity in Anolis Lizards. Brain Behavior and Evolution, 84 (1), 8-18. doi: 10.1159/000362197

Brain Organization and Habitat Complexity in <i>Anolis</i> Lizards

2013

Journal Article

In-plane superfluid density and microwave conductivity of the organic superconductor kappa-(BEDT-TTF)(2)Cu[N(CN)(2)]Br: evidence for d-wave pairing and resilient quasiparticles

Milbradt, S., Bardin, A. A., Truncik, C. J. S., Huttema, W. A., Jacko, A. C., Burn, P. L., Lo, S. -C., Powell, B. J. and Broun, D. M. (2013). In-plane superfluid density and microwave conductivity of the organic superconductor kappa-(BEDT-TTF)(2)Cu[N(CN)(2)]Br: evidence for d-wave pairing and resilient quasiparticles. Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 88 (6) 064501, 064501-1-064501-6. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.88.064501

In-plane superfluid density and microwave conductivity of the organic superconductor kappa-(BEDT-TTF)(2)Cu[N(CN)(2)]Br: evidence for d-wave pairing and resilient quasiparticles

2013

Journal Article

Hydration-controlled X-band EPR spectroscopy: a tool for unravelling the complexities of the solid-state free radical in eumelanin

Mostert, A. Bernardus, Hanson, Graeme R., Sarna, Tadeusz, Gentle, Ian R., Powell, Benjamin J. and Meredith, Paul (2013). Hydration-controlled X-band EPR spectroscopy: a tool for unravelling the complexities of the solid-state free radical in eumelanin. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 117 (17), 4965-4972. doi: 10.1021/jp401615e

Hydration-controlled X-band EPR spectroscopy: a tool for unravelling the complexities of the solid-state free radical in eumelanin

2013

Journal Article

Three-dimensional carbazole-based dendrimers: model structures for studying charge transport in organic semiconductor films

Mutkins, Karyn, Chen, Simon S. Y., Pivrikas, Almantas, Aljada, Muhsen, Burn, Paul L., Meredith, Paul and Powell, Ben J. (2013). Three-dimensional carbazole-based dendrimers: model structures for studying charge transport in organic semiconductor films. Polymer Chemistry, 4 (4), 916-925. doi: 10.1039/c2py20670f

Three-dimensional carbazole-based dendrimers: model structures for studying charge transport in organic semiconductor films

2012

Journal Article

Kinetics of charge transfer processes in organic solar cells: Implications for the design of acceptor molecules

Schwenn, Paul E., Gui, Ke, Zhang, Yuliang, Burn, Paul L., Meredith, Paul and Powell, Benjamin J. (2012). Kinetics of charge transfer processes in organic solar cells: Implications for the design of acceptor molecules. Organic Electronics, 13 (11), 2538-2545. doi: 10.1016/j.orgel.2012.07.008

Kinetics of charge transfer processes in organic solar cells: Implications for the design of acceptor molecules

2012

Journal Article

Geometrical frustration in the spin liquid beta'-Me(3)EtSb[Pd(dmit)(2)](2) and the valence-bond solid Me(3)EtP[Pd(dmit)(2)](2)

Scriven, E. P. and Powell, B. J. (2012). Geometrical frustration in the spin liquid beta'-Me(3)EtSb[Pd(dmit)(2)](2) and the valence-bond solid Me(3)EtP[Pd(dmit)(2)](2). Physical Review Letters, 109 (9) 097206, 097206.1-097206.5. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.097206

Geometrical frustration in the spin liquid beta'-Me(3)EtSb[Pd(dmit)(2)](2) and the valence-bond solid Me(3)EtP[Pd(dmit)(2)](2)

2012

Journal Article

Role of semiconductivity and ion transport in the electrical conduction of melanin

Mostert, Albertus B., Powell, Benjamin J., Pratt, Francis L., Hanson, Graeme R., Sarna, Tadeusz, Gentle, Ian R. and Meredith, Paul (2012). Role of semiconductivity and ion transport in the electrical conduction of melanin. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, 109 (23), 8943-8947. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1119948109

Role of semiconductivity and ion transport in the electrical conduction of melanin

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2030
    Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance
    Quantum Decarbonisation Mission
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2026
    Switching, sensing and multifunctionality in spin crossover materials
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2020 - 2023
    Emergent behaviours in spin crossover materials (ARC Discovery Project administered by University of Sydney)
    University of Sydney
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    2D or not 2D? Beyond the standard model of organic quantum spin liquids
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2017
    Advanced X-ray Facility for Structural Elucidation and Photocrystallography
    ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Emergent quantum matter in multinuclear coupled coordination clusters
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2016
    Advanced Superfluid Physics Facility
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2014
    Facility for fabrication and characterisation of micro/nano-optoelectronic devices
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2018
    Quantum phases of matter driven by strong electronic correlations in complex molecular crystals
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2014
    Computer Modelling for Development of Phosphorescent Iridium (III)
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    Trouble at the bottom: Exploring the limits of Fermi liquid theory through dimensionless ratios
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2015
    Strengthening merit-based access and support at the new National Computing Infrastructure petascale supercomputing facility (ARC LIEF Grant administered by ANU)
    ARC LIEF Collaborating/Partner Organisation Contributions
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Non-radiative decay in organometallic complexes for organic light-emitting complexes: from theory to materials design
    CSIRO Flagships Collaboration Fund
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    ResTeach 2011 0.2 FTE School of Mathematics and Physics
    UQ ResTeach
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    Spin-liquids, antiferromagnetism, and superconductivity in organic charge transfer salts: synthesis, neutron scattering and theory
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2010
    Organic superconductors: from synthesis to neutron scattering to theory
    UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards - DVC(R) Funding
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2012
    Strongly correlated electron models for organic superconductors
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008
    Vector magnetic field facility for nanoscale spintronic materials and device research (ARC LIEF Administered by University of New South Wales)
    University of New South Wales
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    First principles parameterisation of minimal models of strongly correlated systems
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2007
    Emergent properties of oxides and biomolecules
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2008
    Quantum states of matter: from spin liquids to superconductors
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2007
    Ion Implanted Polymers as New Plastic Electronic and Superconducting Materials
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2007
    Organic superconductors and frustrated antiferromagnets: from quantum chemistry to quantum many-body theory
    ARC Linkage International
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Ben Powell is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Available projects

  • Room temperature single molecule switches

    Switches are the basis of all modern digital electronics. Binary logic is based on turning switches on (1) and off (0). So miniaturising memories and logic circuits requires miniaturising switches. Societies program of miniaturising switches is so advanced that the next frontier is reaching the molecular scale. This requires a detailed understanding of the quantum physics and chemistry of the molecules at play. Traditional quantum chemical approaches are limited to absolute zero. So they do not describe switching at room temperature, where we would like use our switches. This project will apply state-of-the-art quantum theory to model switching in a class of materials known as Prussian blue analogues.

    This would suit a physics student with a strong understanding of quantum mechanics (no previous knowledge of chemistry is required, although chemistry majors are welcome to apply). It will involve learning and apply quantum field theory and both analytical and computational work.

  • Can we design a room temperature, ambient pressure superconductor?

    A room temperature, ambient pressure superconductor would change the world. We could plant "farms" of solar panels in the outback and losslessly transport the energy generated to capital cities and Asia, dramatically lowering the cost of power generation. But the world record for the highest temperature ambient pressure superconductor hasn't increased in decades.

    However, new types of materials have recently emerged that can be clicked together like lego. This offers us the chance to design new materials with taylored propoerties from the ground up. However, doing so is a formidable theoretical challenge that requires understanding the quantum mechanical behaviours of 10^23 electrons simulatneously? In this project you will develop and apply new theoretical techniques to attack this problem.

  • Design and control of quantum materials: metal organic frameworks (MOFs)

    Materials are vital for modern technology. Our understanding and control of the physics of silicon enabled the digital revolution. But electron-electron interactions are not important for the physics of silicon. In many other materials quantum mechanical electron-electron interactions determine the properties of the materials. These quantum materials show amazing properties such as high temperature superconductivity and sometime have excitations that are very different from the properties of the vacuum [1]. If we could routinely design and control quantum materials it would revolutionise technologies from electricity distribution to computing. But currently we have very limited abilities to design quantum materials. A new class of materials, MOFs, may be the key to enabling the rational design of quantum materials. Several projects are available in this area using techniques varying from supercomputer calculations to pen and paper theory to help change this in collaboration with world leading synthetic chemists and experimental physicists.

    [1] B. J. Powell, The expanding materials multiverse, Science 360, 1074 (2018)

  • New types of particles in spin-crossover materials

    Condensed matter physicists sometimes pity our colleagues in high-energy physics. They are limited to studying a single vacuum and its excitations: the particles of the standard model. For condensed matter physicists every new phase of matter brings a new ‘vacuum’. Remarkably the low-energy excitations of these new vacua can be very different from the individual electrons, protons and neutrons that constitute the material. The condensed matter multiverse contains universes where the particle-like excitations carry only a fraction of the elementary electronic charge are magnetic monopole, or are their own antiparticle. None of these properties have ever been observed in the particles found in free space. Often emergent gauge fields accompany these ‘fractionalized’ particles, just as electromagnetic gauge fields accompany charged particles.

    In this project you will discover the nature of the particles that emerge a recently phase of matter – the spin-state ice – that is predicted to occur in spin crossover materials. You will develop new theories of these materials and seek to discover other exotic phases in them.

  • Spin crossover materials

    Some molecules are magnetic. Others are not. Spin-crossover molecules are unusual because they can be switched between magnetic (high-spin) and non-magnetic (more generally, low-spin) states by temperature, pressure, chemical environment, or irradiation by light. Furthermore, materials containing spin-crossover molecules can display phase transitions between states with different spatial patterns of molecules with high- and low-spin that have similarities to emergent states with magnetic, orbital and charge ordering, such as antiferromagnetism.

    The fundamental question you will investigate is: why does this happen? This will require the application of state-of-the-art computational methodologies to describe the quantum behavior of the electrons in these materials. Importantly, the electrons interact strongly with one another in these systems. This means that the behaviors are collective and the standard approaches to chemistry, where we treat each electron independently, fail miserably. Instead you will use supercomputers to model the collective physics.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The role of spin-orbit coupling in spin crossover materials

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jack Clegg

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Emergence of fractionalised quasiparticles in spin-crossover materials

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Stimuli Responsive Single Molecule Switches

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Peter Jacobson

  • Doctor Philosophy

    New Methods for Strongly Correlated Electrons in Chemically Complex Materials

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Carla Verdi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Theories of strongly correlated electrons in metal-organic frameworks

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Computer-aided material discovery for light-emitting materials in OLEDs

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Xiuwen Zhou

  • Doctor Philosophy

    First principles calculations of defects in solids for quantum technologies

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Carla Verdi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Electron-phonon coupling in atomic defects for quantum technologies

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Carla Verdi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Novel physics in topological flat-band metal-organic frameworks

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Carla Verdi

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Is the superconducting phase compact or not?

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Tom Stace

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Ben Powell directly for media enquiries about:

  • Biophysics
  • Condensed matter physics
  • Low temperature physics
  • Magnetism
  • Melanin
  • Organic electronics
  • Quantum mechanics
  • Solar cells
  • Solid state physics
  • Statistical mechanics
  • Superconductors
  • Theoretical chemistry
  • Theoretical physics

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