Sam Bladwell studied spin-orbit coupled systems referred to as being ‘low dimensional’ due to strong confining potentials – ie, behaving as two-, one-, or zero-dimensional systems. Recent developments have allowed researchers to create low-dimensional systems with strong spin-orbit interactions. Just as Rafael Nadal’s topspin changed the French Open, so these strong spin-orbit interactions have opened new directions of investigation in devices physics. Sam was a postdoctoral research under Prof Oleg Sushkov, investigating the theory charge transport in low-dimensional systems, in relation to FLEET’s Research theme one: topological materials.