David Ottaway

Professor David Ottaway is a Professor at the University of Adelaide's School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, within the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology. He leads the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) and specializes in optical systems, including cryogenic solid-state lasers, mid-infrared fiber lasers, and gravitational wave detector technologies. His research has received over $10 million in funding, with notable contributions to the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and advanced laser radar systems.

Education: PhD in Physics from the University of Adelaide (1999). Postdoctoral roles at Caltech's LIGO Hanford Observatory and MIT's LIGO Laboratory (2001–2007). Returned to Adelaide in 2007.

Research Interests: Focus on pushing optical and photonic technologies to enable scientific breakthroughs. Key projects include Er:YAG lasers for methane detection, mid-infrared fiber lasers beyond 4 µm, and wavefront sensors for gravitational wave detectors. His work bridges fundamental physics and applied technologies like remote sensing and polymer processing.

Grants & Funding: Over $42 million in grants, including ARC Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), Advanced LIGO partnerships, and mid-IR laser development projects. Notable grants include $35M for OzGrav and $899K for low-loss fluoride fiber research.

Teaching & Supervision: Taught courses in physics and biomedical sciences, coordinated MSc and BSc programs. Supervised numerous PhD and Masters students, though specific advisee names are not listed in available texts.

Labs & Teams: Theme Leader at IPAS, collaborating with global institutions (e.g., LIGO, MIT, Caltech). Active in professional activities like editorial roles and committee memberships.