Shaped Light at the Interface

Photonics - the science and application of light- is gaining ever more prominence in both an academic and industrial setting. The Platform Grant renewal at the University of St Andrews is in the field of shaped light and applications. We would like to develop studies that will impact on biological and medical healthcare, sensing, fundamental understanding of the classical and quantum world, and even allow us to monitor the impact of global climate change upon organisms living in "harsh" environments e.g. Antarctica. In particular, we wish to develop new adventurous, risky research themes to go outside our "comfort zone" and pump prime new activities. Our work will include:

i) Studies between photonics and materials science. This includes studies at the fundamental level where we will push our understanding of the classical physics of suspended micro-objects in vacuum and study the behaviour to see "quantum" effects as well as explore new directions in sensing. Imagine a sphere suspended in vacuum that is isolated from its environment. Such a sphere can be translated or set spinning solely by light. This can test our fundamental understanding: for example does the vacuum exert any friction or drag on the sphere? Do the material properties of the sphere make a difference? Can we use this as a probe to measure pressure in minuscule volumes? What happens when we slow down or cool the random motion of the sphere - can it enter a regime where quantum mechanics dominates? What happens if instead of a sphere we levitate a bacterium? As bacteria can live in 'harsh' environments such work could allow us to start to probe the classical-quantum boundary for biological objects.

ii) looking at new ways of imaging with light that could lead us to take images of large biomedical objects (eg tissue, small organs) with "minimal" exposure to light, meaning less damage and faster image acquisition. Can we use "compressive" techniques where we illuminate an object with predetermined light patterns that give us the information of the shape and texture of the object but now with only say 10% of the light we would use normally? We will use this ability to help the world initiative of "mapping the brain" by analyzing the singling of neurons in an intact network.

iii) explore new ways to image both the shape and the molecular composition of tissue; such photonics methods can help pathologists identify the early onset of diseases. The same technology, appropriately adapted, may be used to study the shell composition of Antarctic Krill. These marine animals are affected by local environmental temperature and nutrient composition and this is therefore an exciting marker for the impact of climate change. Can our methods be used for imaging other forms of marine life? Can we use shaped light to improve the depth penetration by up to one order of magnitude?

iv) can we develop new concepts in the area of sensing? Using simple paper based systems offers promise and can be used in conjunction with shaped light for new forms of multi-parameter sensing, telemedicine.

We appreciate that Impact is the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy and we need to clearly address the two issues of (i) beneficiaries of the research and (ii) how in fact they will benefit.

In relation to point (i) we are committed to exploring and advancing all opportunities for Impact within our Platform Grant during its lifetime and ensuring that our research and training have societal relevance and advance the Impact agenda in the field of Photonics. In line with this we have a number of activities (e.g. workshops, secondments, international conferences/visits) and key end-users/partners that will ensure we can appropriately advance the Impact aspects of the Platform Grant in a timely fashion. Dissemination will be undertaken in the broadest concept from major international paper and conferences, including publication in high ranked topical journals where we would not normally publish to ensure widest appreciation and acknwoledgement of our advances.

Outputs of our work in conjunction with the profile/standing of the investigators will be central to shaping policy (through for example appropriate EPSRC events, EU meetings), roadmapping in the field through strategic meetings (eg the International Conference on Biophotonics), and Advisory boards to make a convincing case for this important topic area of research

The commercial sector in the form multinational corporations and key UK SMEs have benefited from our innovations in the last Platform activity and we aim to enhanced this in the present activity with strategic interactions/secondments with industrial endusers to establish a productive dialogue set up with end users.

In relation to (ii) there are number of ways the research may benefit various beneficiaries. Firstly we believe outcomes of our work that have potential market value will be discussed at the earliest opportunity with Industry. In turn we aim for these to be driven through ultimately to new products that will - with our innovations- benefit UK SMEs through increased employment, advantages in the marketplace and the creation of new markets. Specific examples we contend include AR coated particles with UK SME Elliot Scientific where we can expect on a 2-3 year timeframe a new international market and paradigm shift in biophysics measurements. These measurements also impact qulity of life as such studies for molecular motors and cell systems give insights init the onset of diseases and so may ultimately lead to new strategies to overcome conditions such as motor neurone disease.

We also see opportunities with our new microfluidic platforms for sensing with Fibre Photonics. These will be creative outputs that when associated with companies mentioned (and others) will increase their standing in the commercial environment. Further new sensing platforms for healthcare are a key requirement this century and thus impact on quality of life, esp. where we discuss blood sensing

The skills developed by PDRAs on our grant will be varied and more advanced than skills they could gain we contend by other routes. This means those PDRAs working on our projects will be more marketable increasing potentially the quality of the workforce and reputation of the UK in these burgeoning areas.