Ultrafast & Terahertz Photonics Group
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Ultrafast optical techniques provide powerful probes of different states of matter, using light pulses that have femtosecond duration. In Warwick our activities span a number of areas:
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Group facilitiesThe Group has labs across the campus, in the main Physics building, Materials and Analytical Sciences, and Millburn House. Read more about our experimental capabilities in terahertz science and technology. We also run the Research Technology Platform.
We make use of a wide range of Warwick's excellent materials analysis equipment, including , Raman spectroscopy, and . |
Join the group!PhD positions are available for UK students and potentially for exceptional international students. Please get in touch if you are interested in PhD or MSc by Research topics in the group. We also support postdoctoral researchers to apply for independent fellowship schemes - let us know if that appeals.
Group, Theses & PhotosContact details for our current and our photo gallery. For recent theses from the group, please see here. |
Research areas
Nanomaterials
We use pump/probe spectroscopy to study how light and matter interact on femtosecond to nanosecond timescales. Using visible probes we can track electronic processes, while infrared radiation lets us study vibrational states of molecules and atomic-scale defects in semiconductors.
Recent papers:
Terahertz medical imaging
Performing in vivo studies of the THz properties of skin is a major initiative in the group, supported by the EPSRC Terabotics Programme GrantLink opens in a new window. We develop robust measurement protocols and test them on a statistically significant number of patients, cross-checking with other methods.
Recent papers:
Semiconductors and Energy materials
A major strand of our research is to improve our knowledge of the fundamental science underpinning new semiconductor materials, such as metal-halide perovskites, which are often attractive for photovoltaic applications.
Recent papers:
Terahertz devices and techniques
We develop new THz devices and integrate them into novel systems designs that can perform THz imaging and THz spectroscopy faster, and with increased capabilities (e.g. polarisation control; robot-controlled probes).
Recent papers:
Recent publication highlights [filter by topic: view all | highlights | THz | perovskites | nano | biomedical]

A. Currie, J. Liu, J.M. Woolley, and J. Lloyd-Hughes,
J. Phys. Chem. Lett. - - (Apr 2026)