A noted nanophotonics expert has joined Aston University to help develop next-generation fiber optic devices for telecommunications, optical computing and sensing. Professor Misha Sumetsky, creator and pioneer of SNAP (surface nanoscale axial photonics) technology, has joined the Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (AIPT). At Aston, Sumetsky’s team will work to further develop the SNAP system, which uses small segments of optical fibers to fabricate miniature photonic devices with subangstrom precision. “The new technology will allow us to create miniature optical devices with outstanding performance, which promise breakthrough applications in telecommunications and optical computing,” Sumetsky said of SNAP, which experiences 100-times-smaller transmission loss than conventional devices and is 100 times more precise. Sumetsky previously worked at OFS Labs and Bell Labs in New Jersey. “It will be exciting to see how he will pursue his research interests in optics of microresonators, micro and nanofibers, and nanophotonics while developing ‘SNAP’ technology,” said AIPT director Sergei Turitsyn. With more than 70 active researchers, AIPT is the largest research group in the School of Engineering & Applied Science, and one of the largest in photonics research in the UK. The group pursues a diverse range of device- and system-level topics at the leading edge of technology. It recently expanded its activities in a number of key areas, including femtosecond-pulsed-laser techniques, medical sensing devices, and planar integrated optical circuits. For more information, visit: www.aston.ac.uk