Semiconductor laser start-up, Vector Photonics, has appointed Dr. Calum Hill as Development Engineer, based at its Glasgow office. Calum brings advanced, laser system design and development expertise to the company, with a proven track-record of innovative product design and NPI. He will assist Dr. Richard Taylor and the technical team in taking its revolutionary, PCSEL-based, semiconductor laser technology into prototype and full production for data comms customers.
Calum comes from Laser Quantum, where he introduced laser technology to the company and steered laser product development. He not only took new laser systems to market, but also established an entirely new supply chain for the business. Prior to that, Calum was at U2t Photonics UK, where he designed and characterised complex, GaAs/AlGaAs waveguides for high-speed optical modulators using Python modelling software.
Calum has an MPhys in Physics from the University of St Andrews and an Engineering Doctorate (EngD) from the Centre for Doctoral Training in Applied Photonics at Heriot-Watt University. It was here he developed environmentally stable, near-infrared, mode-locked fibre lasers for Radar and Lidar applications, in collaboration with Thales UK.
Calum was a UK Finalist in the Three Minute Thesis competition; Scottish Finalist in Famelab; and was Space School ambassador for Careers Scotland, traveling to NASA to represent young, gifted and talented Scottish engineers.
When not at work Calum likes to help out with local charities, most recently ‘Simon Community Scotland’, a homelessness charity in Glasgow. He also enjoys long walks with his excitable Dalmation, Poppy, and takes every opportunity to play a game of squash or badminton.
