Career Profile

I gained my PhD under the supervision of Prof. Philip Mauskopf studying the cold-electron bolometer, studying its potential as an ultra-fast and sensitive detector for millimetre-wave astronomy. Since then I have held post doctroal positions with Prof. Peter Ade developing a testbed for next-genration mercury cadmium telluride detectors (this testbed designed has since been adopted by the Eurpean Space Agency) and Dr Simon Doyle developing kinetic-inductance detectors and cryogenics for millimetre-wave astronomy.

Education

PhD - Astronomical Instrumentation

2011 - 2015
Cardiff University

Developing ultra-fast and -sensitive detectors for millimetre wave astronomy. Utilising weak electorn-phonon coupling and non-Ohmic tunnelling contacts.

Thesis online.

MPhys

2006 - 2010
Cardiff University

Inlcuding research projects studying: micro/solid-state refrigeration and cold-electorn boloemters.

Experiences

Cryogenic & Integration Lead

2017 - Present
Mexico-UK Sub-mm Camera for Astronomy (MUSCAT)

Developed novel He3-light cooling system providing continous cooling of a 100-mK detector stage using a total of less the 10 LSTP of helium-3. MUSCAT represents the first on-sky demonstration of passively switch soprtion refrigerators and miniature dilution refrigeration.

Testbed Development & Commissioning Lead

2015 - 2017
ESA TRP: Development of Low Dark Current MWIR/LWIR Detectors

Developed a multi-banded cryogenic testbed for the study of a ultra-low dark current MCT detectors for astronomical applications in exoplanet science. The design concept of this testbed has since been reproduced and apoted by the European Space Agency.

Projects

In addition to my key roles, I am involved in several other projects and organisations both within academia and in my personal life.

TiN LEKID Development - Carrying out testing and characterisation of high-Tc LEKIDs fabricated from titanium nitride
Miniature dilution refrigerators - Small dilution refrigerators capable of achiving temperatures below 100 mK with cooling power of 5 μW
Fencing Competition Organisation - Running and organising several competitions each year including the Welsh Open, largest annual competition in the UK with over 500 competitors
Home Assistant - Open source home automation. Collaborator on official iOS app.

Publications

A full publication list can be found on my Google Scholar profile. A selection of my first-author papers is below.

A continuous 100-mK helium-light cooling system for MUSCAT on the LMT
Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 2018
MUSCAT: The Mexico-UK Sub-Millimetre Camera for AsTronomy
SPIE, 2018
A cryogenic testbed for the characterisation of large detector arrays for astronomical and Earth-observing applications in the near to very-long-wavelength infrared
SPIE, 2016
Optical response of strained-and unstrained-silicon cold-electron bolometers
Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 2016
Optical characterisation of a strained-silicon cold-electron bolometer at 160 GHz
8th UK, Europe, China Millimeter Waves and THz Technology Workshop (UCMMT), 2015
A strained silicon cold electron bolometer using Schottky contacts
Applied Physics Letters, 2014

Skills & Proficiency

Cryogenic cooling

Python

LabView

LaTeX

MatLab