Parisian lecture in honour of Salford physicist

Allan Boardman

A University of Salford scientist who is noted for his work on materials that can make objects invisible has been honoured by his peers at a major conference in Paris.

Professor Allan Boardman was the subject of a special symposium given at the Meta’12 conference on 21 April where scientific colleagues lined up to present his achievements to the delegates.

During his career Professor Boardman has achieved numerous breakthroughs in the fields of photonics – the study and application of light, and, for the last decade, metamaterials – artificial media with the ability to bend light around in unexpected and exotic directions.

The potential for Professor Boardman’s research includes huge increases in computer processing speeds, major developments in medical and communications technologies, new devices for prospecting and energy harvesting.

Last year, Professor Boardman’s research with Imperial College London, which shows how it may be possible to 'bend' light around objects to make them appear invisible, was judged by physicsworld.com to be third in the list of ten most important breakthroughs in 2011.

The special session in the Paris meeting featured academics from UK, US and Australian universities, was billed as being ‘dedicated to the remarkable contribution to science that has been made and is being made by Professor Allan Boardman’.

Professor Boardman said: “It was a great honour to attend this event given by my colleagues from around the world. I’m really proud that my achievements have been recognised in this way and that Salford, the home of James Joule, features so strongly.”

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