Dr. Stephen T. Lee

I am a laser physicist with 22 years of experience of product and technology development in academia, commercial and defence industries in the field of solid-state lasers.

I founded Caledonian Photonics Limited in 2018 to commercialise novel new high-reliability, environmentally-insensitive lasers & optics. We are currently engaged in product development activities and consultancy to the photonics industry.

From 2008 to 2017 I performed a number of roles at Thales UK, including Engineering Manager, Thales Expert in laser technolgy for robust operation in difficult environments, and Design Authority for the Defence Lasers Product Line. The products required specialist understanding of the design and manufacture of rugged, compact, low cost lasers for the defence market. My role covered technology R&D from original concept, through new product design and introduction, to product support in manufacturing and with the customer. I was also responsible for the production and maintenance of the Thales UK Lasers Technology Roadmap.

Prior to my time with Thales I worked for Coherent Inc from 2002-08 as a senior laser design engineer, in the field of ultrafast, diode-pumped all-solid-state laser design for commercial and scientific markets. In 2001 I worked for Sigtronics, a small start-up company in the field of PCB manufacturing. I led a small team researching next-generation technologies for fast prototyping of high-density PCBs, including the construction of a laser machining station to perform drilling and patterning operations.

From 1996-2000 I completed a PhD and a one year post-doctoral researcher contract at the University of Strathclyde Physics department. The subject of this research was mode-locking of diode-pumped, all-solid-state lasers, with an emphasis on semiconductor saturable absorber mirror mode-locking.