Senior Research Fellow in the IGR at Glasgow University since 2009, I worked on the upgrading of the LIGO gravitational wave detectors as part of the LIGO project which directly detected GWs for the first time in September 2014.
My current research interests are in developing the materials and techniques required for the next generation of proposed GW detectors. Much of this work is on the optical absorption properties of silicon, especially in the 1.5 to 2 micron wavelength range. This work is done in collaboration with colleagues at Stanford University and at Caltech, and has been facilitated by an SU2P staff exchange.
I have many years of experience of the development and manufacturing of lasers for healthcare and manufacturing environments. Interested in applying current research on the measurement of absorption in optical substrates at the part per million level as a metrology tool in manufacturing processes.