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Chuck’s research centred on Raman spectroscopy of a wide range of materials, including superconductors, semiconductors, and various types of thin films. In the late 1980s, the groundbreaking discovery of high-temperature superconducting cuprates sparked his deep interest in the field. From that point forward, he devoted much of his career to exploring Raman scattering in high-Tc superconductors such as YBCO, La214, Bi2212, and MgB₂.

In 1990, Chuck led his group in a series of meticulous investigations into phonon anomalies in YBCO single crystals, revealing several intriguing features of phonons and their interactions with electrons. He soon recognized that the broad, continuum-like backgrounds in the Raman spectra—arising from electronic excitations—held even greater significance than the phonons themselves. Chuck was among the first researchers to propose that these electronic Raman continua could provide valuable insights into the symmetry of the superconducting gap.

His team’s work led to a landmark achievement in 1994: the first experimental evidence of d-wave gap symmetry in the single-layer high-Tc cuprate. Later, in 2001, they used the same method to uncover direct evidence of two superconducting gaps in MgB₂. These discoveries offered profound contributions to our understanding of the superconducting mechanisms in these two different types of superconductors.

Chuck’s scientific vision, curiosity, and leadership left an enduring mark on the field of superconductivity. His work continues to inspire researchers around the world.

Sandoval, S.J., Yang, D., Frindt, R.F., Irwin, J.C, “Raman-study and Lattice-dynamics of single molecular layers of MOS₂”,  Phys Rev B 44, pp.3955-3962 (1991).

Yang, D., Sandoval, S.J., Divigalpitiya, W.M.R., Irwin, J.C., Frindt, R.F., “Structure of Single-molecular-layer MOS₂”, Phys Rev B 43, pp.12053-12056 (1991).

Chen, X.K., Konstantinovic, M.J., Irwin, J.C., Lawrie, D.D., Franck, J.P., “Evidence for Two Superconducting Gaps in MgB₂” Phys Rev Lett 87, 157002 (2001).

Barajas-Aguilar, A.H., Irwin, J.C., Garay-Tapia, A.M., Schwarz, T., Delgado, F.P., Brodersen, P.M., Prinja, R., Kherani, N., Sandoval, S.J.J. “Crystalline Structure, Electronic and Lattice-dynamics Properties of NbTe2”, Scientific Reports 8, 16984 (2018).

Chrzanowski, J. and Irwin, J.C., “Raman-scattering from Cupric Oxide”, Solid State Commun 70, pp.11-14 (1989).

X. K. Chen,  J. C. Irwin,  H. J. Trodahl,  T. Kimura and K. Kishio, "Investigation of the Superconducting Gap in La2SrCuO4 by Raman Spectroscopy", Phys. Rev. Lett.  73,  3290 (1994).

G. K. Scott, K. K. Bardhan, and J. C. Irwin, "Raman Scattering from the Orthorhombic Charge-Density-Wave State of 2𝐻-TaSe2", Phys.  Rev.  Lett.  50,  771 (1983).

Chuck was my supervisor when I was a grad student in the 1980’s. We remained in touch, getting together off and on in the decades since.  During the majority of the time he was my supervisor, Chuck was also the Physics Department Chair; despite the additional work that position entailed he always had time for me and his other grad students.  More experience in life has made me appreciate that even more now than I did then.

I never saw Chuck angry.  Frustrated?  You bet!  After a grad student had damaged some equipment through bizarre misuse he commented on the apparent lack of common sense, muttering “Uggh. The best physicists are farm boys from Saskatchewan.” Frustrated, yes.  Angry, no.

Thinking back now on those days has rekindled so many memories of Chuck and my time at SFU.  One in particular comes to mind. I had been moping around the lab for several days due a recent breakup, so Chuck and my fellow grad student Gary decided to do something about it.  Chuck invited us to the pub in the complex where he was then living.  As we were walking home, and the effects of a night drinking beer were wearing off, I started feeling sorry for myself again.  That was enough for Chuck.  He slapped me on the back, and in the voice of the ex-RCAF officer that he was, told me to “Buck up!".  I took his advice.

I will miss him.

Chuck was a great colleague and played a significant role in the development of our Department.

I interacted with Chuck as Director of the Surface Science Laboratory (SPL) at SFU Physics Department.

Among the priorities of SPL was co-operation with the private sector. Chuck was always very supportive of this activity.

was a frequent industrial collaborator. Their main product was supersensitive magnetometry using SQUID superconducting devices. Their interest was matched with the expertise in our department and thus provided a natural symbiosis of the CTF and our Department activities.

Our cooperation with CTF System got a new impulse after discovery of high Tc (HiTc) superconductors by J.G. Bednorz and Allex Muller in 1986 and soon after by the discovery of yttrium barium copper oxides (YBCO)  by Cing-Wu Chu with the critical point of 96K.

Our cooperation with CTF Systems reached a new phase in 1986  when we were able to obtain a 3-year NSERC R&D grant for the development of high Tc SQUID devices operating at LNT (liquid nitrogen temperatures).

CTF Systems created the High Tc Alliance together with the Institute of  Science and Technology of Canada , the BC Provincial Government and Furukawa Corp. of Japan.

Our group at Physics Department (SPL, Chuck Irvin, and Albert Curzon) was further joined by the UBC group (Walter Hardy, Jim Carolan) who were chiefly responsible for helping CTF Systems to develop YBCO thin film HiTc superconducting transformers and dc Josephson junction DQUID sensors.

Chuck played a very important role in this project. Using his micro-Raman facility, he was able to determine the bulk thin film oxygen concentration of Cu oxide planes. Behavior of High Tc superconductors depends on the right stoichiometry and Chuck’s technique allowed CTF Systems to reach prefect High Tc superconducting films with maximum critical point Tc and large superconducting critical currents. Chuck’s contribution played a significant role in the CTF ability to create 3-dimensional (3D) SQUID magnetometry working at LNT.