A new suite of photonics and nanofabrication laboratories has been officially opened on the King’s College London Strand Campus. The photonics laboratories house cutting-edge levitated optomechanics experiments and attosecond lasers as well as extending King’s capabilities with state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities.
The new cleanroom forms part of the LCN and the facilities will be run by the Photonics & Nanotechnology Group.
This investment in the future of light-based technology comes as the UK photonics industry output exceeds £12.9 billion, growing at twice the national average. The Photonics & Nanotechnology Group has expanded rapidly over the past few years and the new laboratories will allow the group to branch into new research areas of attosecond physics led by Dr Amelle Zaïr and optical levitation led by Dr James Millen.
To celebrate the opening of these new spaces the Department of Physics hosted an opening event on Wednesday 2 October with talks from both Amelle and James alongside Dr Wayne Dickson, who was instrumental in the commissioning of the atomic layer deposition facilities housed in a cleanroom. The talks were followed by a tour of the new suites and a reception.
Of the new laboratories, Dr James Millen said:
Our new suite of laboratories is an important expansion of our photonics and nanotechnology research, strengthening the ability for King’s and the LCN to deliver advances in this strategically important research area.– Dr James Millen, Lecturer in the Department of Physics
Dr Wayne Dickson said of the cleanroom:
This new, state-of-the-art materials deposition facility will provide King’s and the LCN with access to a previously inaccessible technique, enabling researchers across a broad range of disciplines to expand and progress their research in new ways.– Dr Wayne Dickson, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics
Professor Anatoly Zayats, Co-Director of the LCN and Head of the Photonics & Nanotechnology Group said:
With the availability of these facilities, we will be able to expand our provision of high-end nanofabrication facilities to academic researchers and industry in the London area. They will help to establish new collaborations and provide new training opportunities for young researchers and our PhD students.– Professor Anatoly Zayats, Head of the Photonics & Nanotechnology Group and Co-Director of the London Centre for Nanotechnology
Image credit: Maggie Luckhurst
