A researcher in the Emergent Photonics Research Centre

Inside the Emergent Photonics Research Centre. Image courtesy of hollisphotography.uk

Emergent Photonics Research Centre opens at Loughborough University

Loughborough University has launched a new research centre dedicated to revolutionising science and technology through photonics – the study of lasers and light waves.

Lasers at the emergent photonic resesarch centre

The new state-of-the-art facility features laser technology. Image courtesy of hollisphotography.uk

The Emergent Photonics Research Centre is a new, 600 square metre, state-of-the-art facility home to a team of researchers focused on advancing ultra-fast nonlinear optics, complexity, and photonics knowledge, and creating innovative technologies with applications ranging from quantum physics to biology.

The Centre's research agenda includes developing photonic technologies, such as micro-lasers known as microcombs, to create new, highly accurate, portable devices for positioning, timing, and navigation. These devices will operate independently of GPS infrastructure. They will enable satellites and spacecraft to pinpoint their positions in space and be used to create machines capable of navigating within buildings or under the sea.

Another research priority for the Centre is using terahertz waves – a challenging to access, yet highly sought part of the electromagnetic spectrum – to develop novel technologies. The Emergent Photonics Research team is already developing a terahertz wave camera capable of imaging microscopic items hidden inside 3D objects, which could have major implications for a range of fields with relevance in medical diagnostics, security, and materials research.

Ongoing research projects are also exploring how artificial intelligence can be used to enhance control of photonic systems and how such systems can be used as fast and efficient deep-learning networks, a type of artificial intelligence modelled after the human brain’s structure.

Technology in the Emergent Photonics Research CentreInside the Emergent Photonics Research Centre. Image courtesy of hollisphotography.uk

At an opening ceremony yesterday (Tuesday 11 June), esteemed academics and representatives from major UK funders, research councils, and research entities enjoyed a firsthand look at the Centre’s cutting-edge facilities and a series of presentations.

Of the launch and hopes for the future, Centre Director, Professor Marco Peccianti, said: "The Emergent Photonics Research Centre has a singular vision: to harness the transformative power of Photonic Complexity to explore and manipulate natural phenomena, creating groundbreaking technologies in the process.

“As we open our doors, we are not just launching a centre; we are inviting the global scientific community to join us at the frontier of discovery.

“We aim to become an incubator for innovation, where scholars, industry experts, and institutions from around the world can collaborate on pioneering research that bridges the gaps between disparate scientific domains.”

Two researchers in the Emergent Photonics Research CentreThe Emergent Photonics Research Centre is home to a team of researchers focused on advancing ultra-fast nonlinear optics, complexity, and photonics knowledge. Pictured from right to left is Professor Alessia Pasquazi, Professor of Nonlinear Optics, and PhD student Debayan Das. Image courtesy of hollisphotography.uk

Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor and President of Loughborough University, and Professor Claudia Eberlein, Dean of the School of Science, were among those celebrating the opening of the Centre at yesterday’s event.

“We are immensely proud and excited to launch the Emergent Photonics Research Centre, representing a significant advancement in the innovative work being done in the field of photonics in the UK”, said Professor Jennings.

“The Centre’s research will deepen our understanding of nature's complexities and drive the development of groundbreaking technologies with far-reaching impacts across multiple fields. This investment underscores Loughborough University's commitment to world-leading fundamental research.”

Professor Eberlein added: “Photonics plays a key role in both cutting-edge fundamental research as well as modern innovations in 21st century technology. 

“Loughborough has made a major investment in establishing this very large and highly sophisticated Centre in order to be at the forefront of these developments. Projects that have already started range from fundamental metrology to advances in communications technology and novel pathways of investigating living organisms. 

“I am absolutely certain we will see a lot of groundbreaking research and creative innovations emerging from the Centre in the near future.”

Researchers and guests at the Emergent Photonics Research Centre opening.Academics and esteemed guests celebrating the Emergent Photonics Research Centre at the opening event. 

The Centre’s research is supported by funding from various prestigious entities, including the European Union's European Research Council (EU ERC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Innovate UK, The Leverhulme Trust, and the United States Army Research Office.

For more information on the Emergent Photonics Research Centre, visit the dedicated webpage.

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 24/76

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines. 

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2024 QS World University Rankings – the eighth year running. 

Loughborough is ranked 6th in The UK Complete University Guide 2025, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2024 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024. 

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes. 

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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