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Miles Padgett

Kelvin Chair of Natural Philosophy (Physics and Astronomy), University of Glasgow
Miles Padgett holds the Kelvin Chair of Natural Philosophy in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow. He heads an Optics Research Group covering a wide spectrum from blue-sky research to applied commercial development, funded by a combination of government charity and industry. He is also Vice-Principal for Research in the University with an office which strives to support both individual researchers in realising their own potential and the University's vision to deliver world-changing research.

Miles is a Fellow both of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society, the UK's national academy. In 2008 Miles was awarded the UK Institute of Physics, Optics and Photonics Division Prize. In 2009 Miles was awarded the Institute of Physics, Young Medal "for pioneering work on optical angular momentum". In 2014 he was awarded the Kelvin Medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh for his contributions to optics and his promotion of a global community of researchers. In 2015 he was awarded the Prize for Research into the Science of Light by the European Physical Society and in 2017 the Max Born Award of the OSA.

His research group studies in the field of optics and in particular of optical angular momentum. Their contributions include an optical spanner for spinning micron-sized cells, use of orbital angular momentum to increase the data capacity of communication systems and an angular form of the quantum Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) paradox.

Miles is the Principal Investigator of QuantIC, the UK's Centre of excellence for research, development and innovation in quantum enhanced imaging, bringing together the six Universities with more than 40 industry partners.

Arthur Ashkin's optical tweezers: the Nobel Prize-winning technology that changed biology

Oct 04, 2018 15:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to three pioneers of the laser technology that has made a big impact on the world. Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland were recognised for their method of generating...

Economy

Central Banks Could Buy 20,000 Tonnes of Gold: BofA

Central banks may have significant capacity to continue buying gold even after several years of record demand, according to Bank of America (BofA). The bank estimates that institutions currently underweight in gold could...

UK Businesses Urge Government to Cut Electricity Levies

British businesses are pressing the government to remove levies from electricity bills as high energy costs put increasing pressure on energy-intensive sectors such as steel, chemicals and manufacturing, Bloomberg reported...

UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July, Beating Forecasts

Britains economy expanded by a stronger-than-expected 0.4% in July, maintaining solid momentum from the first half of 2026 despite economic pressures linked to the U.S.-Iran war, according to data released Friday by the...

US Treasury Yields Near 5% as Oil Fuels Inflation Fears

Global bond markets came under heavy selling pressure on Friday, pushing the U.S. 10-year Treasury yield close to the critical 5% threshold as soaring oil prices and expectations for higher interest rates intensified...

Global Central Banks Brace for More Rate Hikes as Inflation Risks Rise

Major global central banks are facing renewed pressure to raise interest rates as persistent inflation, resilient economic growth and rising energy prices complicate the monetary policy outlook. The European Central Bank...

Politics

Chinese Satellite Images Linked to Iran Strike on US Base

U.S. officials have connected high-resolution satellite imagery supplied to Iran by Chinese entities to a July missile attack on an American military base in Jordan that killed three U.S. troops, according to a Wall Street...

Trump Calls for Five-Year George Washington Smithsonian Exhibit

President Donald Trump called on the Smithsonian Institution to create a five-year exhibition honoring George Washington, while renewing criticism of the museum organizations approach to U.S. history. In a Truth Social...

Saudi Arabia Shuts East-West Oil Pipeline After Drone Attack

Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its strategic East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack, adding fresh pressure to global energy supplies as the U.S.-Iran war disrupts major Middle East shipping routes. The...

Trump Open to Chinese Automakers Building Cars in US

President Donald Trump said Friday that he would be open to Chinese automakers establishing manufacturing plants in the United States, despite strong opposition from U.S. lawmakers and major auto companies. Speaking on Fox...

Lula Holds Narrow Lead Over Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil Election Poll

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva continues to hold a narrow advantage over Senator Flavio Bolsonaro in a potential runoff in Brazils October presidential election, according to a new Datafolha poll released...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI Agents Linked to RubyGems Cyberattack

OpenAIs AI agents were involved in a previously undisclosed cyber incident that disrupted RubyGems, a widely used software package distribution service, in May, according to a Wall Street Journal report. OpenAI confirmed...

Nvidia Eyes $10 Billion Investment in Anthropic IPO

Nvidia is reportedly in discussions to become an anchor investor in Anthropics planned initial public offering, with the AI chip giant potentially committing up to $10 billion to what could become the largest IPO in...

Optus Apologises After Network Outage Disrupts Emergency Calls

Optus has apologised to customers after a network outage disrupted voice services across several Australian states and affected some emergency calls, raising fresh concerns about the reliability of the countrys...

Enflame Shares Surge 200% in Shanghai AI Chip Debut

Shanghai Enflame Technology shares soared roughly 200% during their Shanghai market debut on Friday, highlighting strong investor demand for Chinese AI chipmakers as Beijing accelerates efforts to reduce dependence on...

OpenAI Weighs AI Development Slowdown Over Safety Risks

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is considering slowing the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence systems as safety concerns surrounding increasingly powerful AI models grow, Bloomberg News reported Friday. Altman...