Technologies developed by our researchers have been adapted and commercialised by industrial partners to significantly increase global sales and revenue and to secure funding.

Our research in THz astronomical instrumentation developed a series of interlinked technologies including sensitive detector systems, sub-kelvin coolers, and unique optical components. These technologies have been adapted and commercialised through three partner organisations, with applications in semiconductor materials characterisation, fusion plasma diagnostics, electron spin resonance spectroscopy, and security imaging. The research enabled more than £7M in global sales for spin-out company QMCI Ltd, doubled revenue to £500K per annum for Chase Cryogenics Ltd, and launched Sequestim Ltd, a new company employing three staff and securing over £1.1M in private and public-sector funding.

Publications

Ade, P. A. R., et al., Planck 2013 results IX: HFI spectral response, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 571, A9, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321531

Griffin, M. J., et al., The Herschel-SPIRE instrument and its in-flight performance, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 518, L3, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201014519

Pascale, E., et al., The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope:BLAST, Astrophysical Journal, 681, 400, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1086/588541

Ade, P. A. R., and Tucker, C. E., A Review of Metal Mesh Filters, Proc. SPIE. 6275, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.673162

Doyle, S., et al., Lumped element kinetic inductance detectors, Journal of Low Temperature Physics,151, 530, 2008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-007-9685-2

Klemencic, G., et al., A continuous dry 300 mK cooler for THz sensing applications, Review of Scientific Instruments, 87, 045107, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4945691