.

Professor Lin Zhang

Lin Zhang

Phone number
0121 204 3548
Email
L.zhang@aston.ac.uk
Room number
NW 312

Profile
I joined the Photonics Research Group in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Aston University in 1994, and was appointed to a Professorship in 2005. During my 15 years at Aston University, I have established an extensive research track record in the area of advanced fibre grating technologies and applications and published over 300 papers in peer-review international journals and conferences, contributed a chapter to a book on Fiber Optic Sensors (CRC Press) and been an inventor of 7 patents. I have served as programme committee member and chair for several international conferences and been regularly reviewing for a range of journals in photonics.  Since I joined Aston, I have also been involved in running a large number of research programmes, including 4 LINK, 4 EPSRC, 2 EU, 2 MoD, and 2 US (BAE SYSTEMS and the US Airforce). My research interests and expertise extend from photonic devices to a wide range of applications in optical communications, smart sensing and recently to bio-photonics.

Prior to joining Aston, I worked towards my Ph.D and subsequently as a post-doc in the field of passive and active planar optical waveguides and waveguiding lasers at Sussex University, UK, and published 35 papers and co-authored a book entitled Optical Effect of Ion Implantation (Cambridge University Press).  

Qualifications & Education

  • BA in Physics, Suzhou University, China, 1978
  • PhD in Physics, Sussex University, UK, 1990

Employment

  • 2005 – to date: Professor of Photonics, School of Engineering & Applied Science,  Aston University.
  • 2001 – 2005: Lecturer, School of Engineering & Applied Science, Aston University. 1
  • 1997 – 2001: Senior Research Fellow, School of Engineering & Applied Science, Aston University.
  • 1994-1997: Research Fellow, Photonics Research Group, Aston University
  • 1979 – 1986: Lecturer, Physics Department, Suzhou University, China

Teaching activity

  • First Year Undergraduate Module on Principles and Circuits
  • Final Year Undergraduate Module on Optoelectronics
  • Supervising Final Year and MSc projects

Research interests

  • Fibre and guidewave optics
  • Interferometric optics
  • Fibre grating devices and applications
  • Optical sensors and sensing technologies
  • Femtosecond laser technology
  • Micro/nano photonic structures and devices
  • Biophotonics

Recent research funding

Current:
(1) SRIF for Advanced Photonic/nano Biosensor Laboratory; £362000
(2) EOARD: FA8655-08-1-3025 45-TFBG based high function polarisers for in-fibre optical isolator and coherent beam combining for high power operation; 1/11/2007-30/4/2009; $99950
(3) EPSRC as co-investigator: EP/E026397/1 PLATFORM: Photonic Device and System Research; 01/07/2007-30/06/2111; £822604

Completed:
(1) EOARD: FA8655-06-1-3068 High extinction ratio in-fibre polarisers by exploiting tilted fibre Bragg grating structures for single-polarization high-power fibre lasers and amplifiers; 01/09/2006-31/08/2007; $55000
(2) EP/D500427/1 Exploitation of Advanced Photonic Boisensors(EAPho-Bio- A new tool for fast and untrasensitive detection of biochemical and biomolecular interactions); 01/01/2006-30/04/2007; £100885
(3) GR/S05786/01 Laser processing of materials for photonic waveguides and circuits (LASEWAVE); 01/05/2003-30/04/2006; £284333
(4) GR/R40272/01 EMbedded Photonic InfrastructuRE (EMPIRE); 01/09/2001-31/08/2004; £194302
(5) GR/M86774/01 Advanced optical fibre sensing using novel fibre grating structures; 01/01/2000-31/12/2002; £52423
(6) GR/N63970/01 Optical fibre sensors for transverse strain & bend measurement; 01/01/2001-30/06/2004; £179425

PhD Supervision
Currently supervising 5 PhD students

Membership of Professional Bodies~
MIOP, MOSA

Selected publications

Books
1.    L Zhang, W Zhang, I Bennion, ‘In-fibre grating optic sensors’, in Fibre Optic Sensors, ed. F T S Yu & S Yin, CRC Press, 1st edition 2002, 2nd edition 2008, ISBN 978-1-4200-5365-4
2.    P. D. Townsend, O. J. Chandler, L. Zhang, “Optic Effects of Ion Implantation”, Cambridge University Press, 1994, ISBN 0 521 39430 9
3.    P. D Townsend, P. J. Chandler, L. Zhang, “Optic Effects of Ion Implantation”,  , Tokyo, 2004, ISBN 4 8427 0320 2

Papers
Over 300 papers have been published in peer review international journals and conferences.