Role
Fouzia Ouali is postgraduate Course Leader and Admission Tutor for:
She is Module Leader for:
- Matter: Evidence for Quantisation (PHYS12113)
- Workshop (PHYS12622)
- The Quantum World (PHYS22111)
- MRes Research project (PHYS49622)
- Advanced Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Computing (PHYS32191)
She also teaches on the following modules:
- Medical Imaging (PHYS32521)
Career overview
Dr Ouali obtained a PhD in Physics from the University of Nottingham.
Previous academic and industrial positions:
- Senior Scientist, Bookham Technology (now OCLARO)
- Lecturer in Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Nottingham
- Research Fellow, School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Nottingham
Research areas
Research into evaporation, wetting phenomena and capillarity. Areas of interest include:
- Evaporation of liquid droplets and ring stain deposits
- Capillary flow in micro-channels
- Colloidal Self-Assembly
- Capillary Origami
- Surface tension driven propulsion
In addition, Dr Ouali has an extensive experience, both academic and industrial, in the physics, optical properties and technology of III-V semiconductor devices including photonic devices, resonant tunnelling diodes, superlattices and high mobility transistors.
Research opportunities: Dr Ouali is offering the following three postgraduate research projects (MPhil and/or PhD) to start in 2019.
- Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) of evaporating droplets: Building on our recently published paper on density-driven flow in binary liquid droplets (Edwards et al., Phys. Rev, Letts, , 121, 184501 (2018)) using OCT, we will investigate the flow mechanisms in single and multiple droplets. We will combine OCT with interference techniques to enable simultaneous measurements of both flow inside and vapour density around evaporating droplets.
- The development of low cost Lateral Flow Devices for medical diagnostics applications: Lateral Flow Devices (LFD) are rapid and low cost point-of-care membrane based platform for detecting and quantifying of analytes in complex liquids in a wide range of medical applications. In this project, we aim to develop the next generation of membranes based on electrospun nanofibres. We will investigate how the physical and chemical properties of the nanofibres affect flow rate and investigate their feasibility as active membrane in LFD. In addition, we will develop theoretical methods to enable the determination of the flow rate in the membranes.
- Fabrication and characterisation of capillary micro-channels for microfluidics applications: Microfluidic capillary systems use surface tension and capillary forces to handle, manipulate and control the flow of small volume of liquids within micro-channels and have attracted a large interest because their potential applications. In this project, we aim to design, fabricate and characterise micro-channels for liquid mixing and separation applications using both photolithography and 3D printing.
The PhD projects above are fully-funded by Nottingham Trent University on a competitive basis and are open to UK, EU or international students. Further information on the application process and deadlines may be obtained from NTU Research Degrees website. The above projects are also offered on a self-funded basis throughout the year. For further information/ discussions, please contact Fouzia.
External activity
- Committee Member of the Printing and Graphics Science Group of the Institute of Physics
- Member of Institute of Physics
Sponsors and collaborators
Recent research has been carried out with support from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council and the Nuffield Foundation.
Publications
Selected publications:
- Density-driven flows in evaporating binary liquid droplets. Edwards AMJ, Atkinson PS, Cheung CD, Liang H, Fairhurst DJ and Ouali FF, Physical Review Letters, 2018, 121 (18), 184501
- Controlling and characterising the deposits from polymer droplets containing microparticles and salt. Msambwa Y, Shackleford ASD, Ouali FF and Fairhurst DJ, The European Physical Journal E, 2016, 39 (2), 21
- Capillary penetration into inclined circular glass tubes, Trabi, C.L., Ouali, F.F., Mchale, G., Javed, H., Morris, R.H. And Newton, M.I., Langmuir, 2016, 32 (5), pp. 1289-1298.
- Wetting considerations in capillary rise and imbibition in closed square tubes and open rectangular cross-sections channels. Ouali FF, McHale G, Javed H, Trabi C, Shirtcliffe NJ and Newton MI, Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 2013, 15 (3), 309
- Capillary origami and superhydrophobic membrane surfaces. Geraldi NR, Ouali FF, Morris RH, McHale G, Newton MI, Applied Physics Letters, 2013, 102, 214101
- Determination of the physical properties of room temperature ionic liquids using a love wave device. Ouali FF, Doy N, McHale G, Hardacre C, Ge R, Allen RWK, MacInnes JM, Newton MI, Analytical Chemistry, 2011, 83 (17), 6717
- Establishing MOVPE growth of InAs/GaAs quantum dots in a commercial 8×3" multiwafer reactor for optoelectronic applications Drouot V, Beanland R, Button CC, Wang XY, David JPR, Ouali FF and Holden AJ, Inst. Phys. Conf. Ser, 2003, 180, 107
- Acoustic Phonon assisted Tunnelling in GaAs/AlAs superlattices. Cavill SA, Challis LJ, Kent AJ, Ouali FF, Akimov AV and Henini M, Phys. Rev. B, 2002, 66, 235320
- Frequency dependence acoustic phonon assisted tunnelling in semiconductor superlattices. Cavill SA, Challis LJ, Akimov AV, Ouali FF, Kent AJ and Henini M, Physica B, 2002, 316, 209-211
For full list click 'Go to Fouzia Ouali's publications' link below.