Active Projects
Spin-NANO
Funding Source – Horizon 2020 (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Grant)
Our research topic as part of the Spin-NANO project focuses on the design and the fabrication of dielectric coatings to construct high reflectance mirrors for high-finesse microcavities. Deposition of dielectric materials is achieved using high-performance vacuum technologies, including Ion-Assisted electron beam and reactive sputtering. With the growing interest in high-Finesse cavities as single-photon sources for a wide range of applications such as medical imaging, astrophysics, quantum communication and quantum information, the challenge involved in my project is to provide very low-loss mirrors for an efficient cavity-based photon extraction technology. More information on the Spin-NANO project can be found at spin-nano.sites.sheffield.ac.uk
ERA-NET-CSMIS
Funding Source: Horizon 2020 (ERA-NET)
This project builds on use of Infrared (IR) spectroscopy as a powerful tool for the sensing and identification of chemicals (solid, liquid or gas) and is a technique used in many applications from industrial safety, medical to food processing. Current systems are expensive, relatively large and power hungry which limits uptake in commercial and consumer applications.
In this project unique infrared (IR) photonic technology is utilised to progress a novel solid state chemical sensor, based on a patented photonic Miniaturised -Infrared Spectrophotometer. This has the potential to be genuinely disruptive within the €4.1billion global chemical detection (gas and liquid applications and markets considered in this proposal). The project has the potential to bring spectroscopic capabilities associated with high-end laser systems into the low-cost, high volume gas and liquid detection markets.
Eurostars-BRICS
Funding Source: Horizon 2020 (Eurostars)
Laser based gas analyzers are conquering market shares to the expenses of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and gas chromathographs as they allow for lower limit of detection and lower manteinance costs, respectively. A broadly tunable laser source in the 3-4 µm range is needed for simultaneous detection of ethanol and aldehydes for the automotive and biogas industry where FTIRs are used, or of C1 to C9 hydrocarbon analyzers for the evaluation of the BTU of natural gases in the oil and gas industry.
The aim of this project is to develop the prototype of a tunable light source specifically adapted for ethanol, aldehydes and C1 to C9 hydrocarbon spectroscopy. Thanks to its small dimensions, low power consumption and simple control interface, the instrument will be suitable for integration in optical gas analyzers. The instrument will be based on disruptive infrared laser sources in the 3-4 um spectral region developed by the consortium.
Shanghai-UK Microsys
Funding Source: Innovate UK
The Shanghai-UK Microsys collaboration is a collaboration between UK and Chinese companies. It aims to develop cutting-edge optical filters for the Chinese markets.
NMPLAS
Funding Source: Innovate UK
The NMPLAS project is focused on an innovation in the Materials and Manufacturing high growth sector and will apply a cutting edge and innovative coating process – Microwave Plasma Assisted Sputtering (MPAS), to produce infrared (IR) transparent and hard, wear/erosion resistant coatings, which are themselves an innovation in materials development. The coatings will be applied on an expanded range of thermally sensitive and strategic substrates, which will initially be exploited in the optical and automotive high value manufacturing sectors, thereby opening up new sustainable business for the partners and increasing the UK’s competitiveness. In addition to the transfer of techology to the industrial partners in the project (enabling a step-change in capability for an SME) and opportunities for future growth in capital equipment sales. This business-led project brings together three industrial partners from these sectors, Teer Coatings Limited (TCL), Qioptiq Limited (QUK) and the SME Helia Photonics Ltd (HPL), with the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), who have pioneered the MPAS process.
GaNAmP
Funding Source: Innovate UK
Quantum technologies require very high specification laser sources that, at the moment, can only be realized by large, complex, inefficient and costly laser sources that are limited to the laboratory. GaN is a key emerging technology for the commercialisation of a range of quantum technologies (optical clocks, gravimeters, communications) since the AlGaInN material system allows the manufacture of high efficient, small, and robust laser diodes over a wide wavelength range thus allowing commercialisation of many quantum systems to be realised.
This extended enterprise consortium project will position the UK as a leading supplier of GaN-based quantum technologies.
In this project (GaNAmP), we focus on a solution for a 461nm high power, single mode (>150mW and <1MHz linewidth), integrated GaN LD and GaN optical amplifier solution, suitable for 1st stage cooling of a Sr lattice clock in a magneto-optical trap (MOT), for optical atomic clock applications. [/av_content_slide] [av_content_slide title='Coolblue2' link='manually,http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/innovate-uk' linktarget='_blank' av_uid='av-mfwgs' heading_tag='' heading_class='' sc_version='1.0']
Funding Source: Innovate UK
CoolBlue2 is a highly innovative project with a goal to develop next generation laser technology for use in the emerging field of quantum sensing. CoolBlue2’s disruptive technology has the potential to transform conventional quantum sensing systems making them cheaper and more compact. We will make use of compound semiconductors, advanced materials that can be made to emit light over a wide range of wavelengths, and process them into laser chips using specialised manufacturing techniques. Our chips will emit high quality blue light, displacing current commercially available solutions due to superior performance and lower cost. The devices produced during the project will be packaged and used to verify their efficacy in existing laser cooled systems. The project will be led by CSTG Ltd in partnership with Helia Photonics, National Physical Laboratories, the University of Glasgow and Aston University.
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Helia Photonics Ltd
Rosebank Technology Park
Livingston
West Lothian
Scotland, UK
EH54 7EJ
+44 (0)1506 414800