David W. Coutts

David W. Coutts serves as Professor and Head of School for the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Macquarie University's Faculty of Science and Engineering. His leadership roles have included Director of the MQ Photonics Research Centre, Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Associate Dean of Research, and Deputy Dean of Research and Innovation.

Professor Coutts' research spans multiple specialized areas within laser physics and photonics. His primary research interests include laser device development (particularly high beam quality pulsed metal vapour lasers, tunable cerium solid-state lasers, Ti:sapphire lasers, and liquid/solid-dye lasers), nonlinear frequency conversion, optical vortex beams with high orbital angular momentum, and astrophotonics for precision radial velocity measurements in exoplanet detection. His work bridges fundamental optical physics with practical applications in materials processing, laser micromachining, high-speed imaging, and biophotonics.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on developing all-solid state cerium UV laser systems across multiple operational regimes (nanosecond, ultrafast, and continuous wave), with increasing emphasis on biophotonics applications. His astrophotonics research has evolved toward increasingly sophisticated spectrograph calibration techniques essential for detecting Earth-like exoplanets, with multiple projects addressing the challenge of achieving m/s-level Doppler precision.

• Best Poster Presentation, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation (2018)

Professor Coutts leads significant research projects including Calibrating astronomical spectrographs to discover Earth-like planets, Calibrators for astronomical spectrographs, and Towards the detection of Exo-Earths - an astrophotonic pathfinder spectrograph. As Primary Chief Investigator, he directs the MQ Photonics Research Centre, which encompasses multiple specialized research groups. His research has been referenced in 4 patents and attracts substantial external funding for developing next-generation laser technologies and astronomical instrumentation. The MQ Photonics Research Centre under his leadership maintains strong industry connections and collaborates with major astronomical observatories worldwide.

Professor Coutts oversees multiple research centers including the MQ Photonics Research Centre, Future Communications Research Centre, Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre, and Hearing Research Centre, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across physics, engineering, and astronomy domains.