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staff profiles- Integrated photonics

 

 

Thorsten Ackemann, Reader

Thorsten is reader in the Photonics Group in the Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, and interested in all aspects of semiconductor-based “Nonlinear Photonics”. His work includes soliton-based photonics and all-optical processing, dynamics of VCSELs, high-performance VECSELs and the nonlinear optics of quantum dots.

 

 

Gerald S Buller, Professor of Physics

Gerald Buller researches time–correlated photon–counting detection and applications. The group is pursuing research in semiconductor-based single-photon counting detectors, especially at wavelengths > 1000nm, these include InGaAs/InP and SiGe avalanche diode detectors, as well as other narrow-gap III-V semiconductors for longer wavelengths (ie > 2000nm). The photon–counting applications studied include time–resolved photoluminescence, photon-counting time–of–flight depth imaging, GHz-clocked quantum key distribution and quantum/ghost imaging. Professor Buller is also a Director of Helia Photonics Ltd. of Livingston, Scotland (www.helia-photonics.com).

 

 

Allister Ferguson, Deputy Principal and Professor of Photonics

Allister is Deputy Principal for Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Strathclyde. He is also the Principal Investigator of the RCUK Science Bridges Award that provides financial support for the SU2 Partnership. His research interests are in solid state lasers, nonlinear optics, biophotonics and laser spectroscopy. He is the Professor of Photonics in the Department of Physics, Associate Director of the Centre for Biophotonics and the Technical Director of the Institute of Photonics.

 

 

Duncan Hand, Head of Physics and Professor of Applied Photonics

Duncan is Professor of Applied Photonics at Heriot-Watt University and also the current Head of the Department of Physics. His research interests focus on applications of high power lasers, including in manufacturing; fibre optic delivery of high peak power light for applications in manufacturing and in measurement of high speed flows; and sensing applications of photonic crystal fibres.

 

 

Thomas F Krauss, Professor of Optoelectronics

Thomas obtained a PhD in the area of semiconductor ring lasers at the University of Glasgow in 1992. He then initiated the field of semiconductor photonic crystals in the UK and gained SERC (1993) and Royal Society (1995) Research Fellowships in support of this work. He coordinated EU-FP5 "PICCO" and leads the current EU-FP6 "SPLASH", both studying fundamental and applied aspects of photonic crystals.

His research interest is the study of optical nanostructures and how they can be used to control the emission and propagation of light. This includes studying microemitters, slowing down light to enhance nonlinear effects and to create ultrafast modulators as well as the development of novel biosensors. His 15-strong group operate the nanofabrication facility at St. Andrews, including electron beam and photolithography, wet and dry etching, thin film deposition as well as a characterisation suite for active and passive microphotonic devices

 

 

Gail McConnell, Reader & Research Councils UK Academic Fellow

Gail is a Reader & Research Councils UK Academic Fellow at the University of Strathclyde. Her research interests are solid state lasers, nonlinear optics, microscopy and biophotonics/biophysics applications including the non-invasive optical stimulation of live cells, nonlinear photolysis, optical trapping of biological media and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering imaging.

 

 

Val O’Shea – University Reader

Val O'Shea works in the Particle Physics Experimental group at the University of Glasgow. His primary interest is in the development of radiation detector systems for applications in high energy physics. He is currently working on operation and build of detector systems for experimental facilities based at CERN (ATLAS) and DESY (XFEL).He is a founding member of the Medipix activity and has actively promoted the use of photon counting for a variety of applications. He has worked on various generic detector research programmes ranging from M-I3 (Basic Technology) to co-ordinating the 3D-RID EU FP5 funded development of 3-D detector structures.