Dr David Webb

Phone number
0121 204 3541

Email
d.j.webb@aston.ac.uk

Room number
NW316

Profile
I joined Aston University as Reader in Photonics in May 2001. Prior to that I had spent 10 years as a Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer in the Physics Department at the University of Kent at Canterbury.

My higher education was obtained at the University of Oxford (BA in Physics at St. Catherine’s) and the University of Kent (PhD in Physics) and I have also spent time as a postdoc in the Department of Engineering Science at Oxford and in industry with GEC Research in Great Baddow, Chelmsford.

Qualifications & Education

• BA in Physics, University of Oxford, 1982
• PhD in Physics, University of Kent, 1988
  

Employment

• 2001 – date: Reader in Photonics, Photonics Research Group, School of Engineering Science, Aston University
• 1991 – 2001: Lecturer then Senior Lecturer in Physics, University of Kent
• 1988 – 1991: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Department of Engineering Science, Oxford University
• 1989 – 1991: College Lecturer, Pembroke College, Oxford University
• 1983 – 1985: Research Scientist, GEC Research, Marconi Research Centre, Gt. Baddow, Chelmsford
  

Teaching activity
I teach on modules EE1ESE and EE1DAE, which are integrated to form the core of the first year Electronic Engineering programmes. I also teach analogue electronics in the fist half of modules EE2CSE and EE2CPS.

I am interested in teaching innovations that have the potential to encourage greater student engagement. To this end I have introduced problem based learning in the second year analogue electronics course and together with my colleague Dr. Kate Sugden have transformed the teaching of electronics in the first year to a practical and project based activity. I am currently experimenting with the use of virtual worlds in education.

Research interests
A member of the Photonics Research Group, I have 25 years’ research experience in the field of photonics, working in the areas of non-linear optics and optical fibre sensors and devices. I have published over 200 journal and conference papers on these subjects, as well as a research text book on photorefractive nonlinear optics. Currently Principal Investigator on grants totalling £670k and Co-investigator funded with a further £700k. The most significant research contributions are:

• Key work on subharmonic beams observed during two wave mixing in photorefractive crystals. An early publication in this area has been cited 51 times while the wider importance of a later paper providing proof of the origin of subharmonic beams is reflected by its publication in Physical Review Letters.
  
  
• Development of Brillouin loss based distributed fibre sensors, including a then world record sensing length. A publication on this work has been cited 92 times.
  
  
• Research spanning 15 years developing the technology and applications of fibre Bragg grating sensors, including early work on temperature strain cross-sensitivity (cited 79 times) and the first ever demonstration of an in-vivo sensor application.
  
  
• Technology transfer: more than a dozen collaborative projects with industry, including both SMEs and major companies (e.g. Airbus, BAeSystems, Taylor Woodrow). Founding director in March 2007 of Astasense – commercial vehicle to exploit sensing expertise at Aston University.
  
  
• First demonstration of fibre Bragg gratings produced in microstructured polymer optical fibre, resulting in invitations to present papers at international meetings in Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Strasbourg and in China.
  

Recent research funding

• Webb, “PHOSFOS,” €270k, EU FP7, 2008-2011
• Bennion, Blow, Turitsyn, Williams, Webb, Zhang, “Platform: Photonic device and system research”, £823k, UK EPSRC, 2007-10
• Webb, Bennion, "Photoinscription of diffracting structures in polymer optical fibre," £227k, EPSRC, 2005-2009
• Webb, Kalli, Komodromos, “POLYFILTRO II”, £14k, Cyprus, RPF, 2006-2009
• Webb, Zhang, Bennion, "Sensor technology for intelligent environmental protection", £190k, DTI Technology Programme, 2005-2009
• Sugden, Zhang, Webb, Bennion, "Integrated Wing,” DTI Technology Programme, 2005-2009
• Sugden, Zhang, Webb, Bennion, "Construct", DTI Technology Programme, 2005-2009
• Sugden, Webb, “Weighing applications of FBG sensors,” £20k, EPSRC CASE Award, 2005-2009
  

PhD Supervision
Chi (Peter) ZHANG
Ian JOHNSON
Lutful KHAN

Membership of Professional Bodies
IoP, OSA, IEEE

Selected publications

1    Webb, DJ and Solymar, L, “Observations of spatial subharmonics arising during 2-wave mixing in BSO,” Optics Communications, 74 (6): 386-388 Jan 15 1990
Early paper describing experimental observations of subharmonic beams which can arise inside a photorefractive crystal during two wave mixing. The subharmonic beam exits the crystal bisecting the two incident beams. Cited 51 times.

2    Webb, DJ et al. “Onset of subharmonics generated by forward wave interactions in Bi12SiO20,” Applied Physics Letters, 57 (16): 1602-1604 Oct 15 1990
Numerical simulation exploring how subharmonic beams can arise due to instabilities inherent in the non-linear physics which describes the photorefractive effect. Cited 35 times.

3    McClelland, TE, Webb, DJ et al., “Generation of spatial subharmonic gratings in the absence of photorefractive beam coupling,” Physical Review Letters, 73 (23): 3082-3084 Dec 5 1994
Provided direct experimental proof of the origin of subharmonic beams. Cited 36 times.

4    Farahi, F, Webb, DJ et al., « Simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain: cross-sensitivity considerations,” Journal of Lightwave Technology, 8 (2): 138-142 Feb 1990
Paper exploring the limits of temperature and strain measurements in interferometric sensors imposed by second order effects. The treatment is directly applicable to fibre Bragg grating sensors, which are currently the fibre sensor choice for many applications. Cited 79 times.

5    Bao, X,  Dhliwayo, J, Heron, N, Webb DJ et al., “Experimental and theoretical studies on a distributed temperature sensor based on brillouin-scattering,” Journal of Lightwave Technology, 13 (7): 1340-1348 Jul 1995
Paper reporting the modelling and experimental studies of Brillouin loss based distributed fibre sensors. Included a system with a then world-record sensing length. Cited 92 times.

6    Webb, DJ, Grunnet-Jepsen, A and Solymar, L,”The physics and applications of photorefractive materials”, Oxford series in optical and imaging sciences, vol. 11, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996.
500 page book detailing research into the photorefractive effect and covering theory, experimental studies and demonstration of applications.

7    Webb, DJ et al.,”First in-vivo trials of a fiber Bragg grating based temperature profiling system,” Journal of Biomedical Optics 5 (1): 45-50 Jan 2000
First use of fibre Bragg grating sensors as in-vivo temperature probes.

8    David Webb; Ian Bennion; Tom Allsop, “Optical waveguide grating device and sensors utilizing the device,” 14/06/2002 EPC (European Patent Convention) EP 02254195.7
Patent covering long period grating bend sensors, currently being applied to a smart vest for respiratory monitoring, being prepared for clinical trials.

9    Allsop T, Dubov; M, Martinez A, Floreani F, Khrushchev I, Webb DJ and Bennion I, “Long period grating directional bend sensor based on asymmetric index modification of cladding,” Electronics Letters 41 (2): 59-60 Jan 20 2005
Demonstration that a fs laser can be used to destroy the symmetry of standard optical fibre in order to provide a long period grating with the ability to determine the direction and magnitude of a bend in the fibre. Potentially very useful for shape determination in e.g. endoscopy.

10    Dobb, H, Webb, DJ et al., « Continuous wave ultraviolet light-induced fiber Bragg gratings in few- and single-mode microstructured polymer optical fibers,” Optics Letters, 30 (24): 3296-3298 Dec 15 2005
First experimental demonstration of photoinscribed gratings in microstructured polymer optical fibre. Opens up a range of sensing opportunities due to the unique physical properties of this fibre. Resulted in invitations to present at meetings in Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Strasbourg and in China.