News

Professor Edik Rafailov (AIPT) has been awarded funding through the prestigious Horizon Europe Pathfinder scheme as part of the €4 million DyHoLIT project, with €650,000 allocated to the Aston team. Coordinated by SWHL GmbH, DyHoLIT aims to transform high-resolution manufacturing through Sub-Wavelength Dynamic Holographic Lithography - a programmable, maskless approach targeting optical resolutions approaching λ/4. By combining advanced micromirror arrays, holographic modulation and new diffraction-modelling algorithms, the project will enable flexible, full-field patterning without immersion optics. The technology will be validated through 3D scaffold fabrication for skin and neural tissue models and shorter-wavelength experiments supporting future semiconductor applications. DyHoLIT has the potential to make advanced lithography more accessible and open new opportunities in biofabrication and semiconductor manufacturing.

Dr Diana Galiakhmetova was awarded prestigious ICURe Discover Sprint Quantum to translate science into impact and exploring practical pathways to bring deep-tech quantum research into the real world.

Edik Rafailov was awarded a prestigious SPIE Maiman Laser Award.  He has made transformative contributions to laser physics and photonics across more than three decades. He pioneered the development of the first high-efficiency aluminum-free semiconductor laser diodes, enabling multi-watt, low-degradation, high wall-plug efficiency lasers. This breakthrough, achieved early in his career, dramatically improved laser reliability and performance, catalyzing the widespread industrial adoption of laser technology.

https://spie.org/news/edik-rafailov-the-2026-spie-maiman-laser-award

Prof. Edik Rafailov became a principal investigator of prestigious NSF–EPSRC grant (2026-2029). "Develop a novel hybrid laser source operating near 3 μm for advanced 3D bioprinting systems" project has a value $920k, Aston part $520k.

TETRA aims at introducing a paradigm shift in the way that cancer is detected by promoting the use of metamaterial-based formalism for cancer detection with the emphasis on the digital histology approaches. Our key concept is that using constructed artificial tissue-like metamaterials for phantom creation can enable the development of breakthrough technology to enable fast, cost-effective cancer recognition paradigm for clinical applications. TETRA is a multidisciplinary, and intersectoral collaborative effort that fully benefits from the current state of the art for practical applications.

https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23125/

Our group participated in the VII Summer school “Photonics meets Biology”, 26– 30 August 2024, Split, Croatia

And our poster "Road to Non-Invasive Optogenetics: Challenges and Progress" has been awarded the 3rd Best Poster Prize.

Chair: Bojan Resan, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland
Co-Chair: Maria Farsari, Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL-FORTH), Greece
Co-Chair: Edik Rafailov, Aston University, UK

Dr Amit Yadav awarded prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowship!

In an exciting development for both academia and industry, Dr. Amit Yadav has been awarded the esteemed Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowship. This recognition is a significant milestone in his career, marking a remarkable opportunity to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world industrial applications.

The Industrial Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the Royal Academy of Engineering, is designed to support individuals who have demonstrated exceptional promise in advancing engineering research and its practical implications for the industry. Dr. Yadav’s work, which focuses on innovating solutions in Ce-doped glass and fiber will blend scientific inquiry with industrial needs, has positioned him as a leading figure in his field.

https://raeng.org.uk/dr-amit-yadav

Dr. Viktor Dremin has been honored with a prestigious award from the Optica Foundation.

He is one of only ten individuals to receive this distinguished recognition, accompanied by a US$100,000 honorarium.

This is an excellent chance to help drive his idea of developing cutting-edge multimodal optical imaging, enhancing research into critical diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

https://www.optica.org/foundation/opportunities/competitions_prizes/challenge/