Professor Keith Blow

Profile
I studied at Cambridge University where I was awarded a BA in Physics and Theoretical Physics in 1978. I then joined the Theory of Condensed Matter Group of the Cavendish Laboratory and received a Ph.D. for studies on Deep Impurities in Semiconductors in 1981. 

I joined the optics division of BT Labs in 1981 and worked on the theory of non-linear optical propagation effects in fibres, principally solitons . This work developed into optical switching and the first demonstration of soliton switching in non-linear optical loop mirrors. In 1990 I set up a group working on quantum optical properties and non-linear spatial optics as well as continuing work on all-optical processing which is currently concerned with ways of using and manipulating the information that can be sent over the enormous bandwidth of optical fibres. 

In 1999 I moved here to the Photonics Research Group at Aston to continue working on optical networks and optical computation.

In 2003 I formed the Adaptive Networks Communications Research Group to study ad-hoc sensor networks, applications of dynamic hardware and mobile systems.

Qualifications & Education  

• BA with First Class Honours in Physics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge University, 1978

• PhD in Solid State Physics, Cambridge University, 1981

Employment  

• 1981 – 1999: BT Research Laboratories

• 1999 – date  Professor In Electronic Engineering, Aston University

Teaching activity

• Internetworking
• Photonic Networks
• Numerical Modelling of Optical Communication Systems

Research interests 

• Photonics Research Group

• Optical Networks

• Optical processing

• Adaptive Communications Networks Research Group

• Ad-hoc Sensor Networks

• Energy aware communication protocols

• Internet Traffic Modelling

Recent research funding 

Completed

• HIPNET (DTI)

• Applications of Photonic Crystal Fibres (EPSRC)

• Undersea Transmission Systems (Azea)

• WDM systems (Marconi)

• Adaptive Hardware (BT)

Membership of Professional Bodies

• Fellow, Institute of Physics

• Hon Sec, Signal Processing, Electronics and Communications group, Institute of Physics

• I represent Aston in the MAPNET (Masters in Photonic Networks) consortium involving: Scuola Sant'Anna Superiore, Pisa; Technical University of Berlin; Osaka University; Aston University.
  
  
• Editorial board member, Journal of Modern Optics.
  
  
• Programme sub-committee chair, Nonlinear Photonics 2012 (USA)
  
  
• Member of technical programme committee, NeoFusion 2012 (Australia)

Selected publications

Detailed list of publications >>