The properties of normal metals and insulators are quite well understood and numerical calculations of the electronic structures provide often astonishing precision, enabling a computational approach to designing materials with a specific property. This level of understanding has been instrumental in the development of semiconductor electronics. Quantum Materials exhibit a vast range of desirable properties, enabling new functionality, however these are usually unexpected and their properties cannot be predicted. Prime examples for the surprising properties of quantum materials are colossal magnetoresistance and high-temperature superconductivity. High temperature superconductivity occurs at temperatures of almost ten times higher than in conventional superconductors (except under pressure), whereas colossal magnetoresistance exhibits a change in resistivity with magnetic field which is orders of magnitude larger than for giant magnetoresistance, for the discovery of which the Nobel prize was awarded in 2007. Reaping the properties of quantum materials for applications has remained elusive, and a lack of understanding of their physics is a major obstacle to achieving this. Reaping the properties of quantum materials for applications has remained elusive. The vast majority of our knowledge about the properties of these materials comes from bulk probes which have provided information about the exotic phases in these materials with exquisite detail. Yet for interfacing to the outside world, it is important to understand the impact of surfaces and interfaces on their emergent properties. The impact of these will provide new opportunities to control their properties, which might lead to entirely new functionalities. For emergent magnetic orders, our knowledge about the impact of the surface in these materials is currently practically zero, therefore this proposal aim to build unique new capability. The here proposed research programme will address this, and lead to (1) An understanding of the impact of surfaces and interfaces on emergent orders, which are critical to technological exploitation (2) Development new methods for atomic scale imaging and characterization of magnetic structure and magnetic excitations (3) Exploration of novel ways to control emergent magnetic states in reduced dimensionalities This will be achieved through a multi-faceted approach combining methods which probe magnetic states at different depths from the surface, thereby enabling a complete characterization of the surface or interface impact on emergent magnetic states.

Our tangible cultural heritage, both historic and contemporary, is made from a plethora of complex multilayer materials. What we see is often only the surface and form of an object. Hidden below are the materials and evidence of the processes by which the objects were originally created. By using state of the art imaging / spectroscopy systems which can map the composition and reveal the stages of their creation, we gain an understanding about the meaning and significance, both in their original context and our present day. This is at the heart of the disciplines of technical art history, archaeology and material culture studies. It also informs collections care, access policies and conservation of cultural heritage. Infrared imaging and spectroscopy is particularly well suited to looking below the surface, as the scattering which normally occurs with visible light is usually much less. Thus the infrared penetrates further into the object. Depending on the material and its structure the infrared light will be absorbed or reflected. This can either be directly imaged or modulated (Fourier Transform Spectroscopy) to acquire spectroscopic information indicating the chemical composition. Most techniques employed at present within the field of cultural heritage can only make spot measurements; to map large areas would take hours to days to acquire the data and therefore is not usually viable or suitable for in-situ measurements. Other techniques require samples to be taken and are therefore invasive. We aim to explore state of the art IR imaging strategies that will be "fit for the job". This implies wide bandwidth, full field and fast techniques coupled with signal processing/ photonics methods to analyse, visualise and manipulate large multivariate data sets. By exploiting state-of-the-art laser sources developed at Heriot-Watt and providing massively tunable infrared light, we will explore and develop several complementary strategies for 4-dimensional imaging (3 x spatial, 1 x wavelength). Compressive sensing illumination techniques and machine-learning based data processing will allow us to image rapidly and efficiently while also extracting the maximum value from our datasets by automatically classifying surface and sub-surface features. In this way we expect to produce outcomes of shared value for both the ICT and Technical Art History researchers in our team. Contextual information from art history will inform the photonic design and computational anaylsis strategies we deploy, while powerful ICT-led techniques will provide the Technical Art History community with new technical capabilities that reveal previously hidden structure and history. The significance to the public of our cultural heritage has motivated us to integrate outreach activity from the start, in particular a dynamic website using 4D data to allow an interactive tool for exploring the chosen case studies, reflecting the People at the Heart of ICT priority. The project includes industrial partners who will contribute resources and expertise in mid-IR lasers (Chromacity Ltd.) and mid-IR cameras (Thales Optronics Ltd.). Our partners have committed substantial in-kind support in the form of access to their technology and contributions of staff time. Furthermore, their engagement ensures that activities within the project, and the outcomes these generate, can be rapidly evaluated for adjacent commercial opportunities. EPSRC priorities are reflected in the project's structure. Cross-Disciplinarity is embedded as collaborations within the ICT community (Photonics & AI Technologies researchers) and with researchers from the AHRC-funded Cultural Heritage community. Co-Creation is essential: only by combining the distinct technical, contextual and material resources of each research group in our team will the project succeed in delivering new capabilities for IR imaging and analysis and new insights into culturally important objects of shared value.