He crossed the Atlantic to be a lecturer in physics at Queen Mary College, London, in 1965. In 1974 he began a long and fruitful interest in exploiting, developing and enhancing the potential of Raman spectroscopy as a powerful tool for the study of molecular materials.
Appointed professor of physics at Leeds in 1990, he established the Molecular Physics and Instrumentation Group to investigate the physical behaviour and properties of materials at the molecular level. One important and conspicuous success was the development of the Raman microscope manufactured by Renishaw plc. Leeds and Renishaw were jointly awarded a Prince of Wales Award for Innovation in 1993, and the Annual Achievement Award of the Worshipful Company of Instrument Makers in 1994.

Other projects undertaken by the group ranged from the development of a miniature detector to monitor strain within aircraft structures, to the development of equipment to detect hidden explosives.

With his very open approach to scientific collaboration, David was influential in the foundation in 1993 of the Centre for Self-Organising Molecular Systems, an interdisciplinary centre bringing together a wide range of scientists and engineers.

He leaves a considerable scientific legacy in the form of more than 150 published papers and nearly 20 filed patents.

Friendly, outgoing and generous, and with a gift for easy communication, David Batchelder quickly became well-known and well-liked throughout the campus. He was a popular and successful head of the then Department of Physics from 1993 to 1996.

Retiring from his post in 2003, Prof Batchelder continued his association with the school as research professor until 2006.

He died at the age of 70 and leaves his wife, Siân, daughters Meryl and Ceri and their children.