Opto-electronics

Optoelectronics is an enabling technology which combines photonics and electronics to provide capacity to generate, transport and manipulate data at high-speed.

Scotland is at the forefront of optoelectronics globally. Edinburgh based companies have particular strengths in avionics, radar and laser systems, optical communications, spectroscopy and optical instruments and components. Innovations include the world’s first underwater RF and broadband modems.  

Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (SUPA) – the largest group of Physics researchers in the UK.  Specialises in research in photonics.

The Scottish Consortium in Integrated Micro-Photonic Systems (SCIMPS)

Research areas include - synthesising microelectronics and photonics to develop single chips that encompass greater integrated functionality.

Institute for System Level Integration – (ISLI) the world’s first centre of excellence to concentrating on postgraduate education and research in the methodology and applications of system-on-chip design, system level integration and related technologies.  

The Institute collaborates with industry to provide a design consultancy, trained engineers and joint research partnerships.

Heriot Watt University, Microsystems Engineering Centre (MISEC)

Research areas - microtechnology with an emphasis on the integration of microwave electronics, microelectronics, optoelectronics and micromechanics.  

Heriot Watt University Physics Department

The Centre for Integrated Optoelectronic Systems (CIOS) within the Department researches applications of optoelectronics, to information technology, in collaboration with partners including Imperial and Kings Colleges, and Hewlett Packard. Other research groups within the department include The Applied Optics and Photonics Group, The Diffractive Optics Group, and the Nonlinear Optics Group.

Heriot Watt University, Department of Computing and Electrical Engineering

- in collaboration, the Department  led the construction of an optoelectronic crossbar switch, as part of a major European project (SPOEC). The project’s results demonstrated the feasibility of using optics to input data to a single silicon chip at the rate of one million Mbit/s (i.e. 1 Tbit/s).

University of Edinburgh – School of Physics

COSMIC (Collaborative Optical Spectroscopy Micromanipulation and Imaging Centre) aims to develop new capabilities and instrumentation for optical-based research in the physical and/or life sciences. Research areas - systems for advanced laser tweezer arrays, sophisticated imaging and spectroscopic systems.