David Coutts

Biography

Professor David Coutts (B.Sc. hons. Massey University 1987, Ph.D Macquarie University 1992) is Director of the MQ Photonics Research Centre and Deputy Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. He is also an elected member of the Macquarie University Academic Senate. From 2009 to 2012 he was Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He is a member of the Optical Society of America and the Australian Optical Society and the Australian Institute of Physics. He was previously a Macquarie University Research Fellow (1992 to 1994), then Postdoctoral Research Associate (1995-1999), and an EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow (1999-2003) in the department of Atomic and Laser Physics, University of Oxford. David Coutts' research interests include laser device development, nonlinear frequency conversion and applications, particularly developing and using high repetition rate UV-visible-IR lasers. Laser systems developed include high beam quality pulsed metal vapour lasers (including frequency doubled systems), tunable cerium solid-state lasers, Ti:sapphire lasers, liquid and solid-dye lasers; applications include materials processing, laser micromachining, laser based high speed imaging and biophotonics. Recent work focuses on developing all-solid state cerium UV lasers including nanosecond, ultrafast and continuous wave systems, and their applications to biophotonics sensing; plasmonics, and high orbital angular momentum beam propagation in optical fibres and free space.

Research Interest

• Leadership • Teams • Employee attitudes and performance