A tiny measuring device developed by researchers at St Andrews University has won an international award for commercial excellence.
Timewarp, a device invented by Derryck Reid and Wilson Sibbett of the university's school of physics and astronomy, has won the laser focus commercial technology award, judged by a panel of industry experts.
The palm-sized device, which can measure extremely short pulses of light, has applications in chemistry, semiconductor science and telecommunications, where scientists routinely use optical pulses with durations approaching one millionth of a billionth of a second.
Timewarp, manufactured under licence by the British firm Elliot Scientific Limited, replaces conventional measurement instruments that need a high-
voltage power supply and fragile components. The St Andrews team said the device is easier to align, cheaper to produce and takes up a fraction of the space of previous instruments.
Register to continue
Why register?
- Registration is free and only takes a moment
- Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
- Sign up for our newsletter
Subscribe
Or subscribe for unlimited access to:
- Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
- Digital editions
- Digital access to THE’s university and college rankings analysis
Already registered or a current subscriber? Login