Photonics grounded in practical engineering.

About James

From fundamental physics to the instrument on the table.

I am a doctoral candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carleton University, working in photonics and ultrafast laser material processing. My research centres on using focused femtosecond pulses to create optical structures in fibre and bulk transparent materials, with particular emphasis on fibre Bragg gratings, nonlinear photonics, and the fabrication systems needed to produce them.

I hold a B.Sc. (Honours) in Experimental Physics and an M.A.Sc. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carleton. That training shaped the way I approach research: understand the underlying physics, build the apparatus carefully, automate what must be repeatable, and let measurement guide the next design decision.

My work has included collaborations with the National Research Council of Canada and the EXO-200 collaboration, spanning fibre-optic sensing, high-voltage experimental hardware, electronics prototyping, and precision laser processing. Across those projects, the common thread has been the integration of disciplines that are often treated separately.

Current technical focus

Beyond the research project

I maintain an independent laboratory for photonics, microfabrication, electronics, and equipment restoration. It is both a technical resource and a long term experiment in making sophisticated research tools more accessible through careful repair, integration, and documentation.

I am also active in engineering education and youth robotics with all levels of FIRST Robotics programs (FRC, FTC, FLL). These roles complement the laboratory work: both require turning complex systems into something other people can understand, operate, and build upon.

University Lecturer - OSS 3014: "Optical Waves, Waveguides, and Sensors"

I have taught undergraduate courses in optics, and photonics at Carleton University. I enjoy helping students develop the skills to apply theoretical concepts to real world problems.

Analysis of guided-wave propagation and sensors. Topics include Maxwell's time-dependent wave equations, dielectric waveguides (slab, planar, segmented, rib, strip), optical fibres (modes, dispersion relations, propagation in dispersive media, nonlinear fibres), beam propagation methods, free space beam propagation, waveguide devices, and study of sensors technology.