Professor Robert Thomson to receive The Princess Royal Silver Medal
The Royal Academy of Engineering is to award the prestigious Princess Royal Silver Medal to Professor Robert Thomson FREng, Professor of Photonics at Heriot-Watt University.
Professor Thomson is one of only three leading UK engineers being awarded the prestigious medal, which celebrates an outstanding personal contribution made to UK engineering by an early to mid-career engineer, less than 22 years in employment, resulting in market exploitation.
HRH The Princess Royal, Royal Fellow of the Academy, champion for engineering and a vocal and long-standing supporter of women in engineering and science, will make the presentation at the Academy Awards Dinner in London on 8 July.
Throughout my career, I have been motivated by the challenge of translating fundamental discoveries into technologies that create tangible benefits for society.
The other recipients are Dr Ian Campbell, Co-founder of Breathe Battery Technologies and Dr Liucheng Guo, Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of TG0.
Luke Logan FREng, Chair of the Academy’s Awards Committee, said: “This year’s winners of The Princess Royal Silver Medal have each pushed the boundaries of engineering. Through their research and innovative ideas, they have supported the UK in being a leader in engineering and sustainability, making significant contributions to our national economy through inspiring entrepreneurship and collaboration.”
By applying photonics to astronomy, Professor Thomson invented the integrated photonic lantern, redefining what is possible in fibre optics.
Conventional optical fibres carry data as pulses of light. Across longer distances, these are typically single mode fibres that rely on light having a single pattern as it travels. Using single mode optical fibres to collect light in astronomy is challenging because most telescopes create signals inherently composed of multiple patterns. This leads to a loss of signal and increased noise.
To overcome this, he developed a new type of photonic lantern, small enough to be mass produced and easily integrated into instruments for astronomy and other applications. Using ultrafast laser pulses, tiny 3D light-guiding paths are carved inside glass, creating pathways that smoothly connect the multimode light collection to single mode devices, preserving the information as it travels. Applications of his integrated photonic lanterns include capturing starlight to look for evidence of exoplanets, advanced medical and biological sensing, and next generation telecommunications.
He developed the first integrated photonic lanterns during his Advanced Fellowship funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, part of UKRI.
He also co-founded a company called Optoscribe, one of Heriot-Watt’s most successful spinouts, which supplied advanced optical mode-manipulation technologies for applications including space-division-multiplexed telecommunications and photonic sensing. Following its acquisition by Intel in 2022, Optoscribe’s technology and team were integrated into Intel’s operations in Livingston, sustaining high-value employment and photonics capability in the UK.
On being awarded the Medal, Professor Thomson said: "I am delighted to receive the Princess Royal Silver Medal. Throughout my career, I have been motivated by the challenge of translating fundamental discoveries into technologies that create tangible benefits for society.
“I have also been fortunate to work with outstanding students, researchers, clinicians and industrial partners, and this award reflects their contributions as much as my own. Together, we have helped develop technologies that have progressed from university laboratories into commercial products, new companies and emerging healthcare applications.
“The UK has a remarkable tradition of engineering innovation, and I believe our future prosperity depends on continuing to invest in research, talent and entrepreneurship. I hope this award helps shine a light on the tremendous opportunities within photonics and inspires the next generation of engineers to pursue ambitious ideas that can improve lives and strengthen our economy.”
Professor Steve McLaughlin, Vice-Principal of Heriot-Watt University, also a Fellow of the Academy, praised his achievement, saying: “Robert Thomson's work in ultrafast laser microfabrication has redefined the art of the possible in photonics. His seminal inventions – the 3D waveguide interconnect and the integrated photonic lantern – are not only academic breakthroughs but transformative for industry.”