Rate My Professor James Gates

Gates led early investigations into ultraprecision machining of optical structures at the Optoelectronics Research Centre, establishing a world-class suite of machining technologies for academic and commercial use. He has served as principal investigator on EPSRC-funded projects UPROAR and PURE, and as co-investigator on the EPSRC Hub in Quantum Computing and Simulation and Southampton's CDT in Quantum Technology Engineering, contributing to over £100 million in research grants. His team has earned Highly Commended research group awards in 2017 and the Vice Chancellor's Award in 2012. Gates has co-authored over 100 journal publications, 350 conference submissions, and three patent families. Notable publications include 'Towards fibre-like loss for photonic integration from violet to near-infrared' (Nature, 2026), 'Ultra-precision diamond grinding of vapour cells in silicon for quantum technology' (Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 2026), 'Investigating the stable ductile grinding regime for optical processing using a dicing saw' (Optical Materials Express, 2025), and 'Investigation of SiO₂ cladding application on Ta₂O₅ films for reduction of delamination during dicing' (Electronics Letters, 2025). He supervises projects such as Photonic Ultra-high-Q Resonators and Ultra-Precision Machining for Optical Substrates and Technologies.