Staff profile

Emma McCabe’s research group focuses on structure – composition – property relationships in functional materials. We design and synthesis new functional materials and investigate their structure and properties. We’re interested in oxides (including perovskite-related materials), oxysulfides and oxyselenides, and oxyfluorides. These materials have useful magnetic, electronic and optical properties. 

I joined Durham Physics as Assistant Professor in Condensed Matter Physics in January 2021. My interest in materials physics/solid state chemistry began during my undergraduate studies and postgraduate research at University of Birmingham with Professor Colin Greaves. I then carried out postdoctoral research with Professor Tony West (Sheffield) and Professor John S. O. Evans (Durham Chemistry). I was appointed as lecturer and then senior lecturer in chemistry at University of Kent, before moving back to Durham. I’m really grateful to Max Alexander for use of the photo above, taken as part of the Illuminating Atoms exhibition (http://www.maxalexander.com/galleries/illuminating-atoms-portraits/) for the International Year of Crystallography. 

Chapter in book

• Designing new polar materials
  McCabe, E. E. (2022). Designing new polar materials. In Reference Module in Chemistry, Molecular Sciences and Chemical Engineering. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-823144-9.00080-7

Journal Article

• Structural chirality and related properties in the periodic inorganic solids: Review and perspectives
  Bousquet, E., Fava, M., Romestan, Z., Gómez-Ortiz, F., McCabe, . E. E., & Romero, A. H. (2025). Structural chirality and related properties in the periodic inorganic solids: Review and perspectives. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 37(16), Article 163004. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648X/adb674
• Prediction of Room-Temperature Electric Field Reversal of Magnetization in the Family of A4B3O9 Layered Oxides
  Dey, U., McCabe, E. E., Íñiguez-González, J., & Bristowe, N. C. (2025). Prediction of Room-Temperature Electric Field Reversal of Magnetization in the Family of A4B3O9 Layered Oxides. Physical Review Letters, 134(13), Article 136801. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.134.136801
• Structural chirality measurements and computation of handedness in periodic solids
  Gómez-Ortiz, F., Fava, M., McCabe, E. E., Romero, A. H., & Bousquet, E. (2024). Structural chirality measurements and computation of handedness in periodic solids. Physical Review B, 110(17), Article 174112. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.110.174112
• La₂O₂MQ₂ phases: stability and synthetic challenges
  Hebberd, G. R., Mendis, B., Bowen, L., Clark, S. J., & Mccabe, E. E. (2024). La₂O₂MQ₂ phases: stability and synthetic challenges. Solid State Sciences, 157, Article 107719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2024.107719
• Iron Oxychalcogenides and Their Photocurrent Responses.
  Al Bacha, S., Saitzek, S., Kabbour, H., & McCabe, E. E. (2024). Iron Oxychalcogenides and Their Photocurrent Responses. Inorganic Chemistry, 63(7), 3292 - 3302. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c03672
• Low Carrier Effective Masses in Photoactive Sr 2 Sb 2 O 2 Q 3 ( Q = S, Se): The Role of the Lone Pair
  Al Bacha, S., Saitzek, S., Roussel, P., Huvé, M., McCabe, E. E., & Kabbour, H. (2023). Low Carrier Effective Masses in Photoactive Sr 2 Sb 2 O 2 Q 3 ( Q = S, Se): The Role of the Lone Pair. Chemistry of Materials, 35(22), 9528-9541. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c01298
• Functional materials design: octahedral tilts in hybrid n = 1 Ruddlesden–Popper phases
  McCabe, E. E. (2023). Functional materials design: octahedral tilts in hybrid n = 1 Ruddlesden–Popper phases. IUCrJ, 10(4), 382-384. https://doi.org/10.1107/s2052252523005559
• Photocatalytic and Photocurrent Responses to Visible Light of the Lone-Pair-Based Oxysulfide Sr6Cd2Sb6S10O7
  Al Bacha, S., Saitzek, S., McCabe, E. E., & Kabbour, H. (2022). Photocatalytic and Photocurrent Responses to Visible Light of the Lone-Pair-Based Oxysulfide Sr6Cd2Sb6S10O7. Inorganic Chemistry, 61(46), 18611-18621. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c03040
• Fe3-xInSnxO6 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5): A family of corundum derivatives with Sn-induced polarization and above room temperature antiferromagnetic ordering
  Frank, C. E., McCabe, E. E., Orlandi, F., Manuel, P., Tan, X., Deng, Z., Jin, C., Croft, M., Emge, T., Yu, S., Wang, H., Gopalan, V., Lapidus, S., Wu, M., Li, M.-R., Gross, J., Burger, P., Mielewczyk-Gryń, A., Klimczuk, T., Xie, W., …Greenblatt, M. (2022). Fe3-xInSnxO6 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5): A family of corundum derivatives with Sn-induced polarization and above room temperature antiferromagnetic ordering. Chemistry of Materials, 34(11), 5020-5029. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.2c00312
• Structural Diversity of Rare-Earth Oxychalcogenides
  Orr, M., Hebberd, G. R., McCabe, E. E., & Macaluso, R. T. (2022). Structural Diversity of Rare-Earth Oxychalcogenides. ACS Omega, 7(10), 8209-8218. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c00186
• Joint machine learning analysis of muon spectroscopy data from different materials
  Tula, T., Möller, G., Quintanilla, J., Giblin, S., Hillier, A., McCabe, E., Ramos, S., Barker, D., & Gibson, S. (2022). Joint machine learning analysis of muon spectroscopy data from different materials. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2164, Article 012018. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2164/1/012018
• Bi2CoO2F4 – a polar, ferrimagnetic Aurivillius oxide-fluoride
  Scott, E. A., Mitoudi Vagourdei, E., Johnsson, M., Cascos, V., John, F., Pickup, D., Chadwick, A. V., Djani, H., Bousquet, E., Zhang, W., Halasyamani, P. S., & McCabe, E. (2022). Bi2CoO2F4 – a polar, ferrimagnetic Aurivillius oxide-fluoride. Chemistry of Materials, 34(21), 9775-9785. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.2c02745
• Disorder-Induced Structural Complexity in the Barlowite Family of S = 1/2 Kagomé Magnets
  Tustain, K., McCabe, E. E., Arevalo-Lopez, A. M., Gibbs, A. S., Thompson, S. P., Murray, C. A., Ritter, C., & Clark, L. (2021). Disorder-Induced Structural Complexity in the Barlowite Family of S = 1/2 Kagomé Magnets. Chemistry of Materials, 33(24), 9638-9651. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c03247
• Symmetry and the Role of the Anion Sublattice in Aurivillius Oxyfluoride Bi2TiO4F2
  Giddings, A. T., Scott, E. A., Stennett, M. C., Apperley, D. C., Greaves, C., Hyatt, N. C., & McCabe, E. E. (2021). Symmetry and the Role of the Anion Sublattice in Aurivillius Oxyfluoride Bi2TiO4F2. Inorganic Chemistry, 60(18), 14105-14115. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c01933
• Antiferromagnetic order breaks inversion symmetry in metallic double perovskite, Pb2NiOsO6
  Feng, H., Kang, C.-J., Manuel, P., Orlandi, F., Su, Y., Chen, J., Tsujimoto, Y., Hadermann, J., Kotliar, G., Yamaura, K., McCabe, E., & Greenblatt, M. (2021). Antiferromagnetic order breaks inversion symmetry in metallic double perovskite, Pb2NiOsO6. Chemistry of Materials, 33(11), 4188-4195. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c01032
• Machine learning approach to muon spectroscopy analysis
  Tula, T., Möller, G., Quintanilla, J., Giblin, S., Hillier, A., McCabe, E., Ramos, S., Barker, D., & Gibson, S. (2021). Machine learning approach to muon spectroscopy analysis. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 33(19), Article 194002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648x/abe39e
• Tuning between Proper and Hybrid-Improper Mechanisms for Polar Behavior in CsLn2Ti2NbO10 Dion-Jacobson Phases
  Cascos, V. A., Roberts-Watts, J., Skingle, C., Levin, I., Zhang, W., Halasyamani, P. S., Stennett, M. C., Hyatt, N. C., Bousquet, E., & McCabe, E. E. (2020). Tuning between Proper and Hybrid-Improper Mechanisms for Polar Behavior in CsLn2Ti2NbO10 Dion-Jacobson Phases. Chemistry of Materials, 32(19), 8700-8712. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c03326
• Structural and electronic evolution in the Cu3SbS4–Cu3SnS4 solid solution
  Chen, K., Di Paola, C., Laricchia, S., Reece, M. J., Weber, C., McCabe, E., Abrahams, I., & Bonini, N. (2020). Structural and electronic evolution in the Cu3SbS4–Cu3SnS4 solid solution. Journal of Materials Chemistry C Materials for optical and electronic devices, 8(33), https://doi.org/10.1039/d0tc01804j
• A comprehensive variable temperature study of the layered oxide, Ca2Mn3O8
  Vera Stimpson, L. J., McNulty, J. A., Morrison, F. D., Mahajan, A., McCabe, E. E., Gibbs, A. S., Stenning, G. B., Jura, M., & Arnold, D. C. (2020). A comprehensive variable temperature study of the layered oxide, Ca2Mn3O8. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 843, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.155633
• Bi2W2O9 : A potentially antiferroelectric Aurivillius phase
  : A potentially antiferroelectric Aurivillius phase. Physical Review B, 101(13), https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.101.134113
• Structural, magnetic, and spin dynamical properties of the polar antiferromagnets Ni3−xCoxTeO6(x=1,2)
  Ni3−xCoxTeO6(x=1,2). Physical Review B, 101(1), https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.101.014429
• MnFe0.5Ru0.5O3: an above-room-temperature antiferromagnetic semiconductor
  Tan, X., McCabe, E. E., Orlandi, F., Manuel, P., Batuk, M., Hadermann, J., Deng, Z., Jin, C., Nowik, I., Herber, R., Segre, C. U., Liu, S., Croft, M., Kang, C.-J., Lapidus, S., Frank, C. E., Padmanabhan, H., Gopalan, V., Wu, M., Li, M.-R., …Greenblatt, M. (2019). MnFe0.5Ru0.5O3: an above-room-temperature antiferromagnetic semiconductor. Journal of Materials Chemistry C Materials for optical and electronic devices, 7(3), https://doi.org/10.1039/c8tc05059g
• Spin interactions and magnetic order in the iron oxychalcogenides BaFe(2)Q(2)O (Q = S and Se)
  Coles, B., Hillier, A., Coomer, F., Bristowe, N., Ramos, S., & McCabe, E. (2019). Spin interactions and magnetic order in the iron oxychalcogenides BaFe(2)Q(2)O (Q = S and Se). Physical Review B, 100(2), Article 024427. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.100.024427
• Mn2CoReO6: a robust multisublattice antiferromagnetic perovskite with small A-site cations
  Frank, C. E., McCabe, E. E., Orlandi, F., Manuel, P., Tan, X., Deng, Z., Croft, M., Cascos, V., Emge, T., Feng, H. L., Lapidus, S., Jin, C., Wu, M., Li, M. R., Ehrlich, S., Khalid, S., Quackenbush, N., Yu, S., Walker, D., & Greenblatt, M. (2019). Mn2CoReO6: a robust multisublattice antiferromagnetic perovskite with small A-site cations. Chemical Communications, 55(23), https://doi.org/10.1039/c9cc00038k
• Tuning octahedral tilts and the polar nature of A-site deficient perovskites Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available.
  Beqiri, D., Cascos, V., Roberts-Watts, J., Clark, E. R., Bousquet, E., Bristowe, N. C., & McCabe, E. E. (2019). Tuning octahedral tilts and the polar nature of A-site deficient perovskites Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. Chemical Communications, 55(18), 2609-2612. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8cc10126d
• Magnetic order and phase transition in the iron oxysulfide La 2 O 2 Fe 2 OS 2
  Oogarah, R. K., Suard, E., & McCabe, E. E. (2018). Magnetic order and phase transition in the iron oxysulfide La 2 O 2 Fe 2 OS 2. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 446, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmmm.2017.09.024
• Crystal field excitations and magnons: Their roles in oxyselenides Pr2O2M2OSe2 (M = Mn, Fe)
  Oogarah, R., Stockdale, C., Stock, C., Evans, J., Wills, A., Taylor, J., & McCabe, E. (2017). Crystal field excitations and magnons: Their roles in oxyselenides Pr2O2M2OSe2 (M = Mn, Fe). Physical Review B, 95(17), Article 174441. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.95.174441
• Magnetostriction-polarization coupling in multiferroic Mn2MnWO6
  Li, M.-R., McCabe, E. E., Stephens, P. W., Croft, M., Collins, L., Kalinin, S. V., Deng, Z., Retuerto, M., Sen Gupta, A., Padmanabhan, H., Gopalan, V., Grams, C. P., Hemberger, J., Orlandi, F., Manuel, P., Li, W.-M., Jin, C.-Q., Walker, D., & Greenblatt, M. (2017). Magnetostriction-polarization coupling in multiferroic Mn2MnWO6. Nature Communications, 8(1), Article 2037. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02003-3
• Infinitely Adaptive Transition-Metal Ordering in Ln2O2MSe2-Type Oxychalcogenides
  Ainsworth, C. M., Wang, C.-H., Johnston, H. E., McCabe, E. E., Tucker, M. G., Brand, H. E., & Evans, J. S. (2015). Infinitely Adaptive Transition-Metal Ordering in Ln2O2MSe2-Type Oxychalcogenides. Inorganic Chemistry, 54(15), 7230-7238. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b00599
• Infinitely Adaptive Transition Metal Oxychalcogenides: The Modulated Structures of Ce2O2MnSe2 and (Ce0.78La0.22)2O2MnSe2
  Wang, C.-H., Ainsworth, C. M., Gui, D.-Y., McCabe, E. E., Tucker, M. G., Evans, I. R., & Evans, J. S. (2015). Infinitely Adaptive Transition Metal Oxychalcogenides: The Modulated Structures of Ce2O2MnSe2 and (Ce0.78La0.22)2O2MnSe2. Chemistry of Materials, 27(8), 3121-3134. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.5b00666
• Proper Ferroelectricity in the Dion–Jacobson Material CsBi2Ti2NbO10: Experiment and Theory
  McCabe, E. E., Bousquet, E., Stockdale, C. P., Deacon, C. A., Tran, T. T., Halasyamani, P. S., Stennett, M. C., & Hyatt, N. C. (2015). Proper Ferroelectricity in the Dion–Jacobson Material CsBi2Ti2NbO10: Experiment and Theory. Chemistry of Materials, 27(24), https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.5b03564
• Magnetism of the Fe2+ and Ce3+ sublattices in Ce2O2FeSe2: A combined neutron powder diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, and density functional study
  McCabe, E., Stock, C., Bettis Jr., J., Whangbo, M., & Evans, J. (2014). Magnetism of the Fe2+ and Ce3+ sublattices in Ce2O2FeSe2: A combined neutron powder diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, and density functional study. Physical review B, 90(23), Article 235115. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.90.235115
• Structural and magnetic characterization of iron oxyselenides Ce2O2Fe2OSe2 and Nd2O2Fe2OSe2
  McCabe, E., Wills, A., Chapon, L., Manuel, P., & Evans, J. (2014). Structural and magnetic characterization of iron oxyselenides Ce2O2Fe2OSe2 and Nd2O2Fe2OSe2. Physical review B, 90(16), Article 165111. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.90.165111
• Weak spin interactions in Mott insulating La2O2Fe2OSe2
  McCabe, E., Stock, C., Rodriguez, E., Wills, A., Taylor, J., & Evans, J. (2014). Weak spin interactions in Mott insulating La2O2Fe2OSe2. Physical review B, 89(10), Article 100402(R). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.89.100402
• Structural Characterization and Physical Properties of the New Transition Metal Oxyselenide La2O2ZnSe2
  Tuxworth, A. J., McCabe, E. E., Free, D. G., Clark, S. J., & Evans, J. S. (2013). Structural Characterization and Physical Properties of the New Transition Metal Oxyselenide La2O2ZnSe2. Inorganic Chemistry, 52(4), 2078-2085. https://doi.org/10.1021/ic302484x
• A new iron oxyselenide Ce2O2FeSe2: synthesis and characterisation
  McCabe, E. E., Free, D. G., & Evans, J. S. (2011). A new iron oxyselenide Ce2O2FeSe2: synthesis and characterisation. Chemical Communications, 47(4), 1261-1263. https://doi.org/10.1039/c0cc03477k
• Synthesis, structure and characterisation of the n=4 Aurivillius phase Bi5Ti3CrO15
  Giddings, A., Stennett, M., Reid, D., McCabe, E., Greaves, C., & Hyatt, N. (2011). Synthesis, structure and characterisation of the n=4 Aurivillius phase Bi5Ti3CrO15. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 184(2), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssc.2010.09.031
• New high permittivity tetragonal tungsten bronze dielectrics Ba2LaMNb4O15: M=Mn, Fe
  McCabe, E. E., & West, A. R. (2010). New high permittivity tetragonal tungsten bronze dielectrics Ba2LaMNb4O15: M=Mn, Fe. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 183(3), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssc.2009.11.032
• Preparation, Characterization, and Structural Phase Transitions in a New Family of Semiconducting Transition Metal Oxychalcogenides beta-La(2)O(2)MSe(2) (M = Mn, Fe)
  McCabe, E., Free, D., Mendis, B., Higgins, J., & Evans, J. (2010). Preparation, Characterization, and Structural Phase Transitions in a New Family of Semiconducting Transition Metal Oxychalcogenides beta-La(2)O(2)MSe(2) (M = Mn, Fe). Chemistry of Materials, 22(22), 6171-6182. https://doi.org/10.1021/cm1023103
• Influence of octahedral tilting on the microwave dielectric properties of A3LaNb3O12 hexagonal perovskites (A=Ba, Sr)
  Rawal, R., McQueen, A. J., Gillie, L. J., Hyatt, N. C., McCabe, E. E., Samara, K., Alford, N. M., Feteira, A., Reaney, I. M., & Sinclair, D. C. (2009). Influence of octahedral tilting on the microwave dielectric properties of A3LaNb3O12 hexagonal perovskites (A=Ba, Sr). Applied Physics Letters, 94(19), https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3129867
• Synthesis, structure and properties of the hexagonal perovskite, h-BaTi1−xHoxO3−x/2
  Liu, Y., McCabe, E. E., Sinclair, D. C., & West, A. R. (2009). Synthesis, structure and properties of the hexagonal perovskite, h-BaTi1−xHoxO3−x/2. Journal of materials chemistry, 19(29), https://doi.org/10.1039/b822785c
• Partial cation-order and early-stage, phase separation in phase W, Li x Co 1− x O: 0.075≤ x ≤0.24−0.31
  ≤0.24−0.31. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 465(2106), https://doi.org/10.1098/rspa.2008.0489
• Formation of disordered and partially ordered LixCo1−xO
  Wu, Y., Pasero, D., McCabe, E., Matsushima, Y., & West, A. (2009). Formation of disordered and partially ordered LixCo1−xO. Journal of materials chemistry, 19(10), https://doi.org/10.1039/b816486j
• Structural and magnetic characterisation of Aurivillius material Bi2Sr2Nb2.5Fe0.5O12
  McCabe, E., & Greaves, C. (2008). Structural and magnetic characterisation of Aurivillius material Bi2Sr2Nb2.5Fe0.5O12. Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 181(11), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssc.2008.08.004
• Fluorine insertion reactions into pre-formed metal oxides
  McCabe, E. E., & Greaves, C. (2007). Fluorine insertion reactions into pre-formed metal oxides. Journal of Fluorine Chemistry, 128(4), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfluchem.2006.11.008
• Crystal structure and electrical characterisation of Bi2NbO5F: an Aurivillius oxide fluoride
  McCabe, E., Jones, I., Zhang, D., Hyatt, N., & Greaves, C. (2007). Crystal structure and electrical characterisation of Bi2NbO5F: an Aurivillius oxide fluoride. Journal of materials chemistry, 17(12), https://doi.org/10.1039/b613970a
• Synthesis and Structural and Magnetic Characterization of Mixed Manganese−Coppern= 1 Ruddlesden−Popper Phases
  McCabe, E., & Greaves, C. (2006). Synthesis and Structural and Magnetic Characterization of Mixed Manganese−Coppern= 1 Ruddlesden−Popper Phases. Chemistry of Materials, 18(24), https://doi.org/10.1021/cm061661j
• Structural and magnetic characterisation of Bi2Sr1.4La0.6Nb2MnO12and its relationship to “Bi2Sr2Nb2MnO12”
  McCabe, E., & Greaves, C. (2005). Structural and magnetic characterisation of Bi2Sr1.4La0.6Nb2MnO12and its relationship to “Bi2Sr2Nb2MnO12”. Journal of materials chemistry, 15(1), https://doi.org/10.1039/b413732a
• C−H⋅⋅⋅O Hydrogen Bond Mediated Chain Reversal in a Peptide Containing aγ-Amino Acid Residue, Determined Directly from Powder X-ray Diffraction Data
  Cheung, E. Y., McCabe, E. E., Harris, K. D., Johnston, R. L., Tedesco, E., Raja, K. M. P., & Balaram, P. (2002). C−H⋅⋅⋅O Hydrogen Bond Mediated Chain Reversal in a Peptide Containing aγ-Amino Acid Residue, Determined Directly from Powder X-ray Diffraction Data. Angewandte Chemie, 114(3), https://doi.org/10.1002/1521-3757%2820020201%29114%3A3%3C512%3A%3Aaid-ange512%3E3.0.co%3B2-5