Professor Thorsten Ackemann

Physics

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Research Interests

The research covers several aspects of ‘Nonlinear Photonics’ with fundamental and applicative aspects, in particular the understanding of the complex nonlinear processes determining (and partially limiting) the performance of semiconductor-based photonic devices and lasers, their control and the utilization of nonlinearities for applications.  Focus is on understanding and controlling the highly nonlinear dynamics of semiconductor lasers, especially VCSELs. On the fundamental side many activities have strong interdisciplinary aspects being connected to self-organization phenomena in nonequilibrium system ubiquitous in Nonlinear and Complexity Science, technology and nature.

Professional Activities

Photon thermalization in broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers
Speaker
4/7/2023
ColOpt Winter School: Collective Effects, Structured Light and Quantum Matter
Organiser
4/3/2019
Complex solitons in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with frequency-selective feedback
Invited speaker
6/6/2019
Atomic interaction via diffractive light coupling
Invited speaker
15/7/2019
European Physical Society (External organisation)
Member
7/2015
European Quantum Electronics Conference, EQEC 2017
Chair
25/6/2017

More professional activities

Projects

SELF-ORGANIZATION OF COLD MATTER DUE TO OPTO-MECHANICAL COUPLING
Ackemann, Thorsten (Principal Investigator) Arnold, Aidan (Co-investigator) Robb, Gordon (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2011 - 30-Jan-2015
Collective effects and optomechanics in ultra-cold matter (ColOpt) (H2020 MCSA ETN)
Ackemann, Thorsten (Principal Investigator) Griffin, Paul (Co-investigator) Oppo, Gian-Luca (Co-investigator) Robb, Gordon (Co-investigator) Yao, Alison (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2017 - 31-Jan-2020
Complex laser dynamics: Analysis and control
Ackemann, Thorsten (Principal Investigator) Oppo, Gian-Luca (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2013 - 31-Jan-2016
Cooperative effects and nonlinear optics in dense ensembles of cold atoms
Ackemann, Thorsten (Principal Investigator) Arnold, Aidan (Co-investigator) Firth, William (Co-investigator) Oppo, Gian-Luca (Co-investigator) Robb, Gordon (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2011 - 31-Jan-2014
High power Terahertz generation enabled by improved heat sinking
Ackemann, Thorsten (Principal Investigator) Fraser, Helen (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2010 - 31-Jan-2011
Stanford-Scotland Photonics Innovation Collaboration (Science Bridges)
Ferguson, Allister (Principal Investigator) Ackemann, Thorsten (Co-investigator) Burns, David (Co-investigator) Dawson, Martin (Co-investigator) McConnell, Gail (Co-investigator) Riis, Erling (Co-investigator)
The Universities of Strathclyde, St Andrews, Heriot-Watt and Glasgow, together with Stanford University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), are collaborating in a project which has won funding worth £1.6 million over three years from the Science Bridges awards, announced by Research Councils UK (RCUK).
The project, SU2P, is designed to capitalise on leading research in the photonics sector, in fields including life sciences and renewable energy, and the commercial opportunities the research offers.
It will also bolster existing links between universities and businesses in Scotland and the US.
The three-year venture between the six institutions focuses on:
■Biophotonics, including stem cell imaging and neuroscience photonics
■Solar cell devices and characterisation
■Integrated photonics
■Solid-state laser engineering and nonlinear optics
■Photonics sensors, including atom and quantum optic sensors and environmental science and technology
The project gives talented young researchers the opportunity to experience working in laboratories in California. It also enables businesses in the US and the UK to share ideas and expertise with academics in both countries.
01-Jan-2009 - 28-Jan-2013

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Contact

Professor Thorsten Ackemann
Physics

Email: thorsten.ackemann@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 3079