On Thursday 4th May, PGR Charlie Patrickson presented to local academic institutions and member businesses as the Torbay Hi-Tech Cluster gathered for the 2nd “Torbay Hi-Tech Cluster Research and Innovation Conference”. The event was a showcase and celebration of the crossover between academic research and industrial R&D in the local area, with a focus on metamaterial applications and quantum optics and photonics. The Hi-Tech Cluster in particular has an exceptional amount of experience in the development and packaging of photonic integrated circuits. The day involved a series of talks from academics at the University of Exeter and University of Plymouth, G&H Photonics, Bay Photonics and Lumentum among others, with poster presentations from student representatives and opportunities to network.
Speaking about his experience, Charlie gave the following views:
As a PhD student in the Metamaterials CDT, it was an excellent opportunity to see how my research – and the skillset that I’m developing – fits within the context of innovative industrial applications. Going hand in hand with this was the chance to network with other local academics, and to meet potential local employers and understand the types of skills they will need from the next generation workforce. Sharing my own work was a key part of this exchange, where I presented a poster describing some recent work on using quantum defects in 2D materials as sensors of high frequency magnetic fields.