He received a PhD degree in Physics from Heriot–Watt University in 2002. His work focussed on the development of a polymer based integration platform for a high–speed optoelectronic crosspoint switch demonstrator which incorporated direct laser written multimode waveguides and mirror surfaces. Since becoming a Research Associate, Aongus has designed, assembled and tested an optical routing module for a multiple–wavelength time–of–flight sensor based on time–correlated single photon counting, developed a polymer–based, multi–layer planar lightwave circuit platform, and is currently working on the optical and optomechanical design of a multi–parameter fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope.

His research interests include optical interconnects (free–space and guided–wave), optical and optomechanical design, direct laser writing techniques and microscope systems. Aongus has been a member of the Optical Society of America(OSA) since 1999 and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photonics Society (IPS) since 2002.

Aongus McCarthy is from Ferbane, Co. Offaly, Ireland. He graduated with a BSc from University College Galway in 1989, a Diploma in Electronic Engineering from the Institute of Technology in Carlow, Ireland in 1990 and received a BSc in Physical Optoelectronics from Essex University, England in 1991. Between 1991 and starting his PhD at Heriot–Watt University in 1997, he spent two years as an Associate on a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) run Teaching Company Scheme (now known as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships) between Coventry University and Signam Limited in Warwick. He was then employed by Signam and was the leader of the R & D Design Team that developed a pre–production prototype of a thermal transfer printer for printing onto non–absorbent polyester type materials.