Katia Gallo

Photonics is a scientific technological area that focuses on generating, transferring, and processing information using light. It is a field that is of great use today, as almost all internet services are built on optic fibre’s unbeatable capacity to rapidly transfer enormous amounts of information. Photonics technology is included in many different components that characterise our everyday life. These include sensors within medical technology, technicians within the field of biology, traffic and communication, defence, and the manufacturing industry. The quantum properties of photons are also the key to tomorrow's quantum cryptography systems and quantum computers.

Katia Gallos’ research focuses on developing new, integrated optical circuits and tailor-made, nanostructured materials. In these materials, photons can simultaneously be led in while their properties are changed and manipulated with reduced use of energy, increased speed, and improved measurement sensitivity, compared to the materials we currently have. This is done to suit various purposes within a number of fields where the light is used. Examples include ultra-fast telecommunication, quantum computers, and spectroscopy. Katia Gallos’ research group also researches the structuring of ferroelectric crystals. This is done  in order to determine their optical, mechanical, and electrical properties, as well as their interaction with biological systems.