Warwick University researchers, Dr Jack Woolley – facility manager of the Warwick Centre for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Dr Sofia Goia – research fellow in CiMAT WMG, set up to showcase the power of light and demonstrate how light can help scientists to uncover the inner workings of chemical reactions happening all around us at the atomic level through a workshop held at Compton Verney Art Gallery in Warwick. Through some fun experiments, audience members were able to learn about current research work performed at Warwick University through an interactive laser interferometry experiment. Moreover, visitors were able to learn about sunscreens and how they work, along with examples of UV-active compounds found in everyday products and put their imagination to test with exciting ‘invisible’ UV-active ink drawings.

Jack is talking about his day to day work in the upcoming behind the scenes as part of the Resonate Festival of Science and Technology 2024. Its free entry, but registration is required to attend. Alongside Jack there will be other researchers at Warwick talking about their work.

At the Warwick Christmas lectures this year Jack and Sofia introduced the visitors to lasers and how they can be used to detect gravitational waves, with visitor having a chance to work with lasers for the first time. While they were with us we also spoke about using lasers to develop new materials such as sun creamsLink opens in a new window. Which is a key area of work we help with at the facility.

As part of the Warwick Christmas Lectures 2019 we held an optics-packed pre-show, featuring demos about some of the weird and wonderful properties of light. Members of the Physics Department and Ultrafast & THz group explained important phenomena like fluorescence, infrared light, polarisation and diffraction and more! The "twangs" of the Department's laser harp helped provide some festive music. There were 1100 members of the public at the lecture, a lot of whom made it to the pre-show science bonanza. On stage James talked about the power of lasers, ably assisted by Edward the Elf (below). Thanks to everyone who helped make the Christmas Lecture on 26th Nov such as success! More pictures here...

Photo © Michelle Tennison