Speakers:

Dr Stephen Webster, School of Physics & Astronomy 

‘Glass bonding applied to the construction of robust miniature laser systems’

Glass bonding  has proven to be robust under the most extreme conditions having been employed in the space-qualified LISA Pathfinder Optical Bench. I am interested in applying these techniques to the construction of rugged, miniaturised lasers, in particular those which are embedded in complex systems as used in quantum technology and advanced manufacturing. I would like to speak with anyone having relevant connections in industry or who can see a potential outlet for this research. My plan is to access funding available through UKRI-accelerators, DASA, Innovate UK and an EPSRC New Investigator Award. 

 

Dr Georgina Klemencic, James Watt School of Engineering

‘Cryogenics, diamonds, and engineered superconducting oddities’ 

My core research activity focuses on superconductors – materials whose electrical resistance disappears below a critical temperature – and using their macroscopic quantum properties to build new and interesting electronic circuits. Aside from applications in quantum computing and detector technology, I have recently been working on multilevel memory devices made from superconducting diamond and beginning to work on magnetic field vector sensing. I am keen to meet and collaborate with a broad range of people, including those with an interest in the temperature/field dependence of materials/electronics, brain-inspired electronics, healthcare sciences, and the arts, to generate new ideas for joint proposals.

 

Dr Jagan Selvaraj, James Watt School of Engineering

‘Bridging multiple scales in composites for improved structural performance’

Composite materials enable tailoring of properties along loading directions, offering improved mechanical performance and aeroelastic tailoring critical for achieving net-zero targets and energy efficiency in aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors. Yet, their inherent brittleness demands damage-tolerant designs and rigorous multiscale analysis, since failure mechanisms initiate at scales far smaller than structural dimensions. My research focuses on numerical methods that bridge these scales, and I am interested in developing new connections to exploit tailored lightweight composites for advanced manufacturing, high-temperature applications, energy storage, space structures, stiffness tailoring, and environmentally durable materials. I seek collaborations with industry and academia to explore innovative applications.

 

First published: 6 August 2025

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