My research exploits nonlinear optics to produce light that spans the visible to mid-infrared.  My research interests include:

• Tunable pulsed lasers for multi-photon microscopy
• Mid-infrared single-photon generation
• Frequency combs for astronomical spectrograph calibration

I work closely with industry, including companies such as Chromacity, Laser Quantum, Radiantis and M-Squared Lasers, and I am part of the UK consortium to supply a wavelength ruler for the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope in Chile. I have collaborated with groups in Milan, Stanford, Tokyo and South Africa, and hope to work with researchers from all walks of life.

For more details please see my research group pages: https://mccrackenlab.squarespace.com

Richard McCracken received a BSc in Physics from the University of St. Andrews (2007) before studying for an MSc in Photonics and Optoelectronic Devices (2009).  From 2010-2017 he was a member of the Ultrafast Optics Group at Heriot-Watt, working with Prof. Derryck Reid as a PhD student and then a post-doctoral researcher.  He joined IPaQS as a Research Fellow in November 2017, where is now an Associate Professor and Global Head of Discipline for Physics.

Global Head of Discipline for Physics

Lecturer

• B28AP, Astrophysics (Y2)