For over 30 years, Martijn has been a key figure in research, education and service within the Australian, Australasian and global optics communities. A theorist in nonlinear optics, he has made key contributions in soliton physics, nonlinear Bragg grating, gap solitons, high energy laser pulses, photonic crystals and metamaterials, scattering theory, and novel aspects of nonlinear propagation in optical fibres, and numerous other areas. For a pure theorist, his commitment to constant collaboration with experimentalists is notable and a key part of his research success.

Martijn is a gifted classroom teacher in optics, photonics and all areas of general physics and has lectured at times in the developing world. His contributions to optics education were acknowledged with multiple awards.

His service to the Australian and global optics communities is equally impressive. He has hold many leadership positions at OPTICA, on the ARC College of Experts, and within the University of Sydney, CUDOS and COMBS.

More details on the award can be found here.

Dr Erik Shartnerr is a physicist bridging academia with entrepreneurial activities. He has a strong focus on finding real-world applications of optical sensors, and undertaking commercialisation activities. This includes a range of industry-focused research projects, and direct efforts to translate photonics technologies via his start-up HT Sensing, and also collaborations with Flawless Photonics and Loughan Technology Group

Commercial activities:

• Demonstrating laser direct-write FBG temperature sensors by integrating them into the Nyrstar Port Pirie smelter.
  
• “Novel Fluorescence”: Utilising fluorescence to uniquely identify chemicals and minerals with the goal of taking a product to market within the next two years
  

More details on the award can be found here.

The ANZOS Mid-Career Prize is awarded to Dr Jiawen Li for her outstanding contributions to the field of imaging and sensing. Her highly collaborative and multidisciplinary approach led to the development of the world’s smallest optical micro-endoscope.

Dr Li is passionate about inspiring the next generation of scientists and is engaged in outreach activities reaching >1000 children and many high-school visits. She served as the co-chair of significant international conferences (CLEO-PR, ANZCOP) and is an engaged member of the optics and photonics community.

ANZOS Geoff Opat Early Career Researcher Prize is awarded to Dr Rocio Camacho Morales’ (Australian National University) for her research which focuses on nonlinear optical metasurfaces and their application for conversion enhancement and imaging capabilities. Rocio mentored several PhD and honours students, actively supports optical societies (SPIE, OPTICA and ANZOS) and participates regularly in outreach activities. Rocio’s leadership extends beyond academia, and she leads several industrial research projects that aim to translate optical metasurfaces into practical devices. Her work on infrared to visible light conversion by resonant semiconductor metasurfaces has yielded two international patents.

Shaban Sulejman is awarded the ANZOS Postgraduate Research Prize for his outstanding research focused on designing optical metasurfaces for imaging applications such as phase imaging of transparent biological samples and multi-modal microscopy.

We are excited to have strong candidates in this year's election. You can read their statements below.

The Vice President candidates are as follows:

• Moritz Merklin, The University of Sydney

Dr Moritz Merklein is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney and a team leader within the Jericho Smart Sensing Lab. Dr Merklein received his Ph.D. from the University of Sydney in 2018. His research was recognised with several awards, including the Rita and John Cornforth Graduate Medal 2019, the Royal Society of NSW Jak Kelly Award 2017, the Australian Institute of Physics NSW Medal for Postgraduate Excellence 2017, and the 2020 Eureka Prize. He is an engaged member of the photonics community serving as the secretary of ANZOS and the vice-president of the Optica Sydney local section.

The Councillor candidates are as follows:

• Alex Fuerbach, Macquarie University

I am Professor and Associate Dean Research Training and Performance for the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Macquarie University in Sydney. I have been an active member of the Council for the last four years during which I have contributed to various strategies aimed at increasing ANZOS' membership base and strengthening our partnership with Optica and SPIE. In 2022, I became Treasurer for the society and, if elected, my intention is to continue in this role and to prepare for a transition to a new treasurer at the end of 2026.

• Alvaro Casas Bedoya, The University of Sydney

I am the Associate Director of the Integrated Photonics Sensing Group at the University of Sydney. My expertise focuses on the design, fabrication, and characterisation of integrated photonic devices for sensing, microwave signal processing, and photon-phonon interactions. I hold a PhD in Physics (2013) from the University of Sydney, funded by the USydIS scholarship, and a double MSc in Photonics (Distinction) through the Erasmus Mundus program (2008-2009). I provide leadership in semiconductor design and  nanofabrication supporting Australia's growing semiconductor industry. I am the advisor for the OPTICA and SPIE Student Chapter and the Sydney OPTICA Local Section, where I also had the pleasure of serving as their president.

• Bill Corcoran, Monash University

A/Prof. Bill Corcoran studies the use of photonics in optical communication systems, to help solve issues with energy efficiency and data-carrying capacity of optical fibre networks – the backbone of the internet. Bill obtained his PhD in Physics in 2011, before joining Chalmers University of Technology for a postdoctoral position. In 2013, he joined Monash University as a postdoc, became ongoing staff in 2025, and became A/Prof. in 2024. Bill is currently an ARC Future Fellow and a CI on the ARC Centre for Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science (COMBS).

• Danka Sampson, University of Western Australia

Dr Sampson is a translational researcher with international training who holds joint appointments at the Lions Eye Institute and the University of Western Australia. Her research focuses on developing non-invasive, optics-based imaging instruments and standardised ophthalmic image and data analysis workflows. In addition to her academic work, she is committed to science communication and promoting inclusivity, having designed and delivered over 30 STEM outreach programmes. Dr Sampson is actively involved in the global optics and photonics community, contributing to Optica and SPIE, and has co-edited the ANZOS Newsletter since 2024. She also supports various committees within these organisations.

• Haoran Ren, Monash University

Dr Haoran Ren, a DECRA Fellow, leads the Structured Nanophotonics Group at Monash University. He is an Associate Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence TMOS. Dr Ren has received several prestigious awards, including the 2024 SPIE Best Paper Award, the 2023 Rising Stars of Light, the 2022 ANZOS Geoff Opat Early Career Researcher Prize, and the 2017 Victoria Fellowship. He actively serves the photonics community as the Chair of the OPTICA Photonic Metamaterials Technical Group and has held roles as Secretary of the OPTICA Sydney Local Section and Event Officer of the OSA Technical Group. He is also an editor for ANZOS News.

• Igor Aharonovich, University of of Technology Sydney

Igor Aharonovich is a Professor in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at UTS, and a chief investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Materials (TMOS). In 2016, Igor and his team discovered the first quantum emitters in 2D materials that operate at room temperature based on defects in hBN.

 

He has co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications, including one of the most cited reviews on diamond photonics.

 

Igor has received several international awards including the Pawsey Medal (2017), the IEEE Photonics Young Investigator Award (2016). In 2021, he became a Fellow of the Optical Society (OSA), and in 2024 elected as a fellow of SPIE.

• Irina Kabakova, University of Technology Sydney

Irina Kabakova is an Associate Professor at the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, the University of Technology Sydney. She has established the first Brillouin Imaging Lab in Australia and pioneered micromechanical spectroscopic imaging for solid state and soft matter materials. Currently she is a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology and Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science. She has served on ANZOS Council between 2019-2022 and chaired ANZCOP 2022 Conference. She has been a long-standing member of ANZOS since 2008.

• Joel Carpenter, University of Queensland

Joel Carpenter is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, UK in 2012 for his work on Mode Division Multiplexing in optical telecommunications before working as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydney, Australia. In 2015, Joel returned to his hometown of Brisbane to take up  faculty position at the University of Queensland, where he founded the ‘modegroup’ at UQ which focuses on research related to the measurement and manipulation of light’s spatiotemporal properties.

• Sergio Leon-Saval, University of Sydney

Prof Sergio Leon-Saval is the Director of the Sydney Astrophotonics Instrumentation Laboratory (SAIL), and Director of the Institute of Photonics and Optical Science (IPOS) at the School of Physics in the University of Sydney. He was the 2019 recipient of the AOS John Love Award, and elected to Optica Fellow for the new class of 2023. Prof Leon-Saval is keen to explore a third and last term as councillor and be able to contribute to the society with a now much better understanding of the needs and procedures and looking forward to exploring the possibilities as a Councillor of the society in his third term, with particular emphasis on solidifying the efforts on the revival of the ANZOS Newsletter.

"The mission of the International Year of Quantum Science & Technology (IYQ) is to use the occasion of 100 years of quantum mechanics in 2025 to help raise public awareness of the importance and impact of quantum science and applications on all aspects of life."

 — International Year of Quantum Science and Technology [1]

The UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) is celebrated in 2025 and is a great chance to showcase the many wonderful aspects of photons and quantum physics with our wider communities. Students involved in past ANZOS public events have enjoyed sharing their passion for photonics with the wider public.

In preparation for next year, ANZOS would like to provide financial support to student chapters to enable them to run public IYQ events in 2025. Different event formats are welcomed, examples of past events include interactive hands-on experiments and public lectures. If you are interested fill out the short ANZOS Event Support Application. More information can be found on the application and it is due by 1st December 2024.

Download the ANZOS Event Support Application.

[1] 2024 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology Partners, "Let’s work together to celebrate 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology", About, accessed 20 October 2024, https://quantum2025.org/en/about/.

 

 

New Zealand and Australia are failing to convert research prowess in photonics and quantum technologies into commercial reality, with a new report finding below average growth in the sector at the heart of our future technologies.

The Australian and New Zealand Optical Society (ANZOS) with support from SPIE, (the international society for optics and photonics), has just released an updated analysis of the AU/NZ photonics industry. It demonstrates a high degree of risk for both countries.

At the end of last year, our photonics and quantum technologies industry had a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.8% compared to a global average of 7.3% over the last decade, behind Asia, the UK and North America. Although the industry has grown to AU$6bn and now employs more than 34,000 people across Australasia, it is behind competitors.

ANZOS President and Director of New Zealand’s Te Whai Ao— Dodd Walls Centre, Frederique Vanholsbeeck, says the report is both disturbing and timely, coming as the New Zealand and Australian governments are examining the state of their universities and the science sector.

“The global value of photonics enabled products is projected to have exceeded US$2.39 trillion last year, so the opportunity is massive. We need New Zealand business, government and academia to collaborate in developing a strategy to leverage our photonics and quantum research excellence,” says the University of Auckland Professor.

Called a “critical” technology in the Australian Government’s National Quantum Strategy, the Federal Government has spent billions in recent years on new centres of quantum research excellence, as well as making a direct “anchor” investment in quantum computing company, PsiQuantum this April.

In addition to computing; the technologies span lasers, precision timing, measurement, navigation and secure communications. They’re used for MRI scans, managing the vulnerabilities of GPS, self-driving cars, measuring the ozone layer, underground sensing and a myriad of work in space. Some of the most powerful quantum applications are expected to come on stream in the next decade.

ANZOS Vice-President, and EOS Chair in Laser Physics at the University of South Australia, David Lancaster says the findings are a wake-up call for Australia.

“It’s imperative that we capitalise on the considerable investment in photonic and quantum technologies made here in the last few years. Australia must demonstrate it can monetise that and keep pace with the rest of the world.”

With commentary on the key issues facing the photonics and quantum technologies industry (skills, infrastructure, tech transfer and commercialisation) the report includes contributions from Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Cathy Foley, as well as wide ranging perspectives from the venture capital market through to researchers, policymakers and businesses in both countries.

SPIE Senior Director, Global Business Development, Dr. Andrew Brown, says the light enabled and quantum industry is at the core of modern technology and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

“Australasia needs a functioning, healthy innovation ecosystem in place for the industry to grow and reach its full potential,” says Dr. Brown.

ANZOS Media Contact:
Anna Verboeket
Dodd Walls Communication Manager. 64-21-720-750

ANZOS and SPIE are honoured to announce the inaugural Jim Piper ECR/ MCR Entrepreneurial Researcher Prize which recognises an outstanding early career researcher for an early-stage entrepreneurial activity/ start-up in the field of optics, lasers, or photonics. The prize is named in honour of Professor Jim Piper, a distinguished and entrepreneurial laser physics researcher, and sponsored by SPIE.

Jim was very active in the Australian optics community, serving on the founding committee of the Australian Optical Society (now ANZOS), its President in 1984-1985, appointed a lifelong member of ANZOS in 2016, and was an OSA (now Optica) Fellow. He brought the International Quantum Electronics Conference to Australia for the first time in 1996. As President of Science and Technology Australia (2015-2017) he restructured the organisation’s membership to be more inclusive.

Jim was the Director of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Special Research Centre for Lasers and Applications (1988-1996) and subsequently Chief Investigator for two ARC Centres of Excellence (Centre for Ultra-high-bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems and Centre for Nanoscale Bio-Photonics).  A world-class researcher, Jim authored over 400 journal articles and hundreds of conference papers, and his research continued to flourish during his retirement.

Jim’s passion for research contributed to building the ARC policy for funding of large-scale research infrastructure and industry collaborations.  He was involved in several laser start-ups, and an inventor on more than 20 patents. His award in 2006 of a Carnegie Lectureship and an honorary D.Sc. from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland also recognised his research excellence in lasers and laser applications.

Jim mentored over 50 PhD students, many of whom established highly successful careers in research, industry, and education. In his later career Jim was Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research at Macquarie University (2003- 2013).

We will be taking applications for this prize alongside the 2024 ANZOS Awards, which are currently open. More details on the Jim Piper ECR/ MCR Entrepreneurial Researcher prize are included below and available on the prize page of our website.
 

With the 16th May fast approaching, the International Day of Light is now less than a month away.

While there are many international events registered on the IDL website we wondered what regional events our members may have organised in Australia and New Zealand. Let us know how you plan to celebrate by filling in this short form so we can advertise your event to the wider ANZOS membership

If you are involved with a student chapter, there is still time to submit an application form for financial support to help organise and host an event.