Cranfield University

Dr Xiao Fang

Senior Research Fellow
Location: Shrivenham campus
E: x.fang@cranfield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1793 314678
Department of Engineering and Applied Science

Current activities

Supervision of postgraduate researchers.

R & D in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for various applications in environmental monitoring, homeland security, forensic analysis, etc. including sensitive detection of trace heavy/toxic metals in water and soils, rapid detection/analysis of explosive materials and in-situ analysis/identification of firearm discharge residue and other forensic materials.

R & D in the applications of molecular optical spectroscopy (including SERS technique) for ultra-sensitive detection/analysis of bio-tissues and explosive materials.

Study of laser interaction with energetic materials and R & D in laser ignition applications.

R & D in identification and sorting of renewable waste materials including plastic.

Clients

Defra, Chemring UK, French Tracer Technology, etc.

Background

MPhil Researcher on laser physics & devices

Lecturer on laser physics and spectroscopy

PhD Researcher on laser holography for micro-particle measurements

Postdoctoral Researcher on laser spectroscopy for ultrafast mass spectrometry and on laser beam applications to X-ray generation

Currently a Senior Research Fellow and PhD supervisor, with main research interests in laser interaction with matter and applied laser/optical spectroscopy

Selected publications

E Burke, X Fang, S R Ahmad and Mike West “The effect of dopant on the laser ignition sensitivity of HNS IV”, 14th International Detonation Symposium, ID, USA (2010)

X Fang and S R Ahmad, “Detection of explosive vapor using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy”, Applied Physics B, 97 (3), 723-726 (2009)

X. Fang and S. Rafi Ahmad “Saturation effect at high laser pulse energies in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy for elemental analysis in water”, Laser and Particle Beams, 25, 1 – 8 (2007)

X. Fang and S. Rafi Ahmad “Sample presentation considerations in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy in aqueous solution”, Applied Spectroscopy, 61(9), 1021 – 1024 (2007)

X. Fang and S. Rafi Ahmad et al “Elemental analysis of urinary stones by laser induced atomic spectroscopy” , Lasers in Medical Science, 20, 132 -137 (2005)

X. Fang and S. Rafi Ahmad “An optical technique for in situ monitoring of trace metals in effluent”, Environmental Technology, 26, 1271 (2005)

A.M.Keszler, L.Nemes, S.R.Ahmad and X. Fang “Characterisation of carbon nanotube material by Raman spectroscopy”, J. Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials, 6, 1269 (2004)

A.J. Rollason, X. Fang and DE Dugdale “Multipass optical cavity for inverse Compton interactions”, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A, 526, 560 (2004)

Further publications

S.M.Hankin, A.D.Tasker, L.Robson, K.W.D.ledingham, X.Fang, P.McKenna, T.McCanny, R.P.Singhal, C.Kosmidis, P.Tzallas, D.A.Jaroszynski, D.R.Jones, R.C.Issac and S.Jamison, “Femtosecond laser time-of-flight mass spectrometry of labile molecular analytes: laser-desorbed nitro-aromatic molecules” Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 16, 111 (2002)

A.D.Tasker, L.Robson, S.M.Hankin, K.D.W.Ledingham, R.P.Singhal, X.Fang, T.McCanny, C.Kosmidis, P.Tzallas, A.J.Langley, P.F.Taday, E.J.Divall, “Ultrafast laser analysis of nitro-PAHs using laser desorption/femtosecond ionization mass spectrometry” Laser and Particle Beams, 19 (2): 205-208 (2001)

P.Graham, X.Fang, K.W.D.Ledingham, R.P.Singhal, T.McCanny, D.J.Smith, C.Kosmidis, P.Tzallas, A.J.Langley, P.F.Taday, “Unusual fragmentation patterns from the dissociation of some small molecules”, Laser and Particle Beams. 18 (3): 417-432 (2000)

P.R.Hobson, R.S.Lampitt, A.Rogerson, J.Watson, X.Fang, E.P.Krantz, “Three-dimensional spatial coordinates of individual plankton determined using underwater hologrammetry”, Limnology and Oceanography, 45 (5), 1167 (2000)

X.Fang, K.W.D.Ledingham, P.Graham, D.J.Smith, T.McCanny, R.P.Singhal, A.J.Langley, P.F.Taday, “Uniform molecular analysis using femtosecond laser mass spectrometry” Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 13, 1390 (1999)

P.Graham, K.W.D.Ledingham, R.P.Singhal, T.McCanny, S.M.Hankin, X.Fang, P.Tzallas, C.Kosmidis, P.F.Taday, A.J.Langley, “An investigation of the angular distributions of fragment ions arising from the linear CS2 and CO2 molecules”, J. of Physics B-Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics, 32 (23), 5557 (1999)

P.A.Norrey, M.Santala, E.Clark, M.Zepf, I.Watts, F.N.Beg, K.Krushelnick, M.Tatarakis, A.E.Dangor, X.Fang, P.Graham, T.McCanny, R.P.Singhal, K.W.D.Ledingham, A.Creswell, D.C.W.Sanderson, J.Magill, A.Machacek, J.S.Wark, R.Allott, B.Kennedy and D.Neely, “Observation of a high directional -ray beam from ultrashort, ultraintense laser pulse interactions with solid”, Physics of Plasma, 6, 2150 (1999)

Xiao Fang and P.R.Hobson, “Effect of spherical aberration on real-image fidelity from replayed in-line holograms of underwater objects”, Applied Optics, 37, 3206 (1998)

Xiao Fang, In-line Fraunhofer holography for underwater particles, PhD thesis, Brunel University (1998)

Xiao Fang and P.R.Hobson, “Effect of transverse object position on the reconstructed image of an aperture-limited in-line hologram”, Optics and Laser Technology, 28, 573 (1996)

Xiao Fang, “Image irradiance distribution from an underwater in-line hologram replayed in air” Presentation in annual meeting by Institute of Physics UK (11/12/1996)

Xiao Fang et al, “Optical sensing of double wavelengths for temperature measurements”, International Optoelectronics Conference-1993, Chengdu, China