Professor Allister Ferguson

Publications

Two-photon absorption properties of crystalline knbo3 at 430 nm and efficient high pulse energy blue second-harmonic generation

Major A, Hutchings D, Langford N, Ferguson AI, Aitchison JS, Smith PWE,

Laser Physics Letters Vol 6, pp. 450-453 (2009)

https://doi.org/10.1002/lapl.200910022

Novel GaIn medium design for short-wavelength vertical external-cavity surface-emitting laser

Ferguson AI, McGinily SJ, Abram RH, Gardner KS, Riis E, Roberts JS

IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics Vol 43, pp. 445-450 (2007)

https://doi.org/10.1109/JQE.2007.895666

Efficient coupling of several broad area laser diodes into an optical fiber

McGinily Stephen J, Abram Richard H, Riis Erling, Ferguson Allister I

Review of Scientific Instruments Vol 77, pp. 116101 (2006)

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2364150

Operation of an optical in-well-pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser

Zhang Wei, Ackemann Thorsten, McGinily Stephen, Schmid Marc, Riis Erling, Ferguson Allister I

Applied Optics Vol 45, pp. 7729-7735 (2006)

https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.45.007729

Femtosecond synchronously mode-locked vertical-external cavity surface-emitting laser

Zhang Wei, Ackemann Thorsten, Schmid Marc, Langford Nigel, Ferguson Allister I

Optics Express Vol 14, pp. 1810-1821 (2006)

https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.14.001810

Efficient Raman shifting of high-energy picosecond pulses into the eye-safe 1.5-µm spectral region by use of a KGd(WO4)_2 crystal

Major Arkady, Aitchison JS, Smith Peter WE, Langford Nigel, Ferguson Allister I

Optics Letters Vol 30, pp. 421-423 (2005)

https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.30.000421

More publications

Professional Activities

GEMM Networking Event

Organiser

16/6/2023

GEMM In-Person Meeting

Participant

14/6/2022

GEMM COP26 Symposium

Participant

3/11/2021

SU2P MidIR & THz Workshop 2013

Organiser

18/2/2013

Andrew Moore

Host

1/2013

SU2P at SPRC Symposium

Participant

17/9/2012

More professional activities

Projects

Doctoral Training Grant 2010 | Bennett, Thomas

Kemp, Alan (Principal Investigator) Ferguson, Allister (Co-investigator) Bennett, Thomas (Research Co-investigator)

01-Jan-2011 - 08-Jan-2022

Passive Q-Switching of Solid State Lasers | Smillie, Marc

Kemp, Alan (Principal Investigator) Ferguson, Allister (Co-investigator) Smillie, Marc (Research Co-investigator)

01-Jan-2011 - 14-Jan-2018

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

Physical Organic Chemistry: Opportunities In Synthesis, Materials And Pharmaceuticals (Science And Innovation Award)

Murphy, John (Principal Investigator) Coombs, Graham (Co-investigator) Ferguson, Allister (Co-investigator) Florence, Alastair (Co-investigator)

This application aims to catalyse and sustain a new dimension in UK research capability in physical organic chemistry. Our strategic alliance in physical organic chemistry will provide a unique continuum of expertise to tackle research opportunities in areas as diverse as materials chemistry, synthesis methodologies and pharmaceutical discovery and development. It will have the capability to address issues from solid-state to solution and gas-phase, from small molecules to biopolymers, and from nanoscale to pilot plant. We focus on topics of international significance to industry worldwide as well as to academic chemistry, that will help to (i) drive the creation of 21st-century electronic materials, devices and technologies (ii) understand and exploit methodologies for assisting chemical reactions with the potential to revolutionise energy use in chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries (iii) provide new and more effective medicines through understanding molecular recognition in pharmaceutical systems including drug-receptor, drug-drug and drug-carrier complexes. Its importance is underlined by the initial substantial support from diverse sectors of the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry that we have so far put in place. It will initially lead to 26 new appointments, and we look forward to even more dynamic growth as the program unfolds.

01-Jan-2007 - 30-Jan-2012

ADVANCED SOLID STATE LASER SOURCES AND SYSTEMS

Ferguson, Allister (Principal Investigator) Burns, David (Co-investigator) Calvez, Stephane (Co-investigator) Dawson, Martin (Co-investigator) Girkin, John (Co-investigator) Hastie, Jennifer (Co-investigator) Kemp, Alan (Co-investigator)

Tomorrow's practical lasers must be engineered to meet the increasingly exacting demands of science and industry. This will require innovative laser science, and we believe that our world-leading research will enable many of the necessary advances. With the increased coherence and stability that an Engineering Platform grant will foster, we will more readily realise our vision: to engineer miniaturised, reconfigurable and actively-controlled solid-state laser systems, creating new opportunities in science, instrumentation and manufacturing. This strategy addresses issues vital to the practical application of advanced lasers: functionality, reliability and low-cost of ownership - characteristics as important for academic science as they are for innovative bio-medicine or industry. Achieving these objectives demands a multi-disciplinary research team / bringing together an understanding of source, system and application. The Advanced Laser Group combines this necessary range of expertise with an existing research portfolio that has delivered important advances in areas such as high-performance optically pumped semiconductor lasers and self-optimising lasers - resulting in sources tailored for applications as diverse as high resolution biological imaging and free-space optical communications. We will take this work forward through a research strategy that centres on four themes:1. Advanced micro-lasers2. Lasers with programmable output patterns (e.g. for simplified lithography)3. Improved sources for biophotonics and medicine4. Versatile and self re-configurable microprocessor-controlled lasers. However, this programme must also adapt to the exciting new opportunities that this vibrant area of research are will continue to produce. A strategic outlook, innovative laser science and the flexibility to respond to new opportunities will be essential in achieving our research objectives. Thus, it will be vital to retain key contract research staff, undertake adventurous - but high risk - pre-project studies and collaborate internationally. The flexible funding mechanism of a platform grant will assist with all three imperatives; thus underpinning our innovative research programme. Lasers are a keystone technology: rapid progress in advanced laser engineering is vital to sustain the UK's leading position in the optical sciences, the photonics industry and the crucial applications they jointly enable. Platform grant funding will underpin our existing research strategy, strengthening and adding flexibility to the base from which we can continue to provide important science and technology for tomorrow's truly enabling laser systems.

01-Jan-2006 - 30-Jan-2011

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