Prof James Wilkinson
BSc(Eng), CEng, PhD, FIET, FInstP, FIEEE


James S. Wilkinson is Professor of Optoelectronics in the Optoelectronics Research Centre at Southampton University.
He took his BSc and PhD, both in electronic engineering, from University College London in 1977 and 1985. He conducted research into optical fibre transmission systems at the GEC Hirst Research Centre, London, from 1977 – 1979, and into optical monitoring and control for haemodialysis procedures at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, between 1983 and 1985. His present research focusses on sensing and telecommunications including lasers and optical amplifiers, fluorescence immunosensors, Raman biosensors and mid-IR waveguide spectroscopy for point-of-care medical diagnostics.
Landmark publications:
1. Butement, JT, Holloway, PM, Welsh, JA, Holloway, JA, Englyst, NA, Horak, P, West, J & Wilkinson, JS, Monolithically-integrated cytometer for measuring particle diameter in the extracellular vesicle size range using multi-angle scattering, Lab on a Chip, 20, 1267-1280 (2020).
2. Mittal, V, Devitt, G, Nedeljkovic, M, Carpenter, LG, Chong, HMH, Wilkinson, Mahajan, S & Mashanovich, GZ, Ge on Si waveguide mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy of proteins and their aggregates, Biomedical Optics Express, 11, 4714-4722 (2020).
3. Rowe, DJ, Smith, D & Wilkinson, JS; Complex refractive index spectra of whole blood and aqueous solutions of anticoagulants, analgesics and buffers in the mid-infrared; Sci Rep, 7, Art: 7356 (2017)
4. Liu, LH, Zhou, XH, Wilkinson, JS, Hua, P, Song, BD & Shi, HC; Integrated optical waveguide-based fluorescent immunosensor for fast and sensitive detection of microcystin-LR in lakes: Optimization and Analysis, Sci Rep, 7, Art: 3655, (2017).
5. Hellesø, Olav Gaute; Lovhaugen, Pal; Subramanian, Ananth Z.; Wilkinson, James S.; Ahluwalia, Balpreet Singh “Surface transport and stable trapping of particles and cells by an optical waveguide loop” Lab Chip, 12 3436-3440 (2012).
6. A.K. Sheridan, P. Ngamukot, P.N. Bartlett and J.S. Wilkinson, Waveguide surface plasmon resonance sensing: Electrochemical desorption of alkane thiol monolayers”, Sensors and Actuators B: 117, 253-260 (2006).
7. J.P. Hole, J.S. Wilkinson, K. Grujic & O.G. Hellesø, Velocity distribution of gold nanoparticles trapped on an optical waveguide, Optics Express, 13, 3896-3901 (2005).
8. P.Hua, J.P. Hole, J.S. Wilkinson, G. Proll, J. Tschmelak, G. Gauglitz, M.A. Jackson, R. Nudd, H.M.T. Griffith, R.A. Abuknesha, J.Kaiser and P. Kraemmer, Integrated optical fluorescence multisensor for water pollution, Optics Express, 13, 1124-1130, (2005).
9. Chao-Yi Tai, James S. Wilkinson, Nicolas M. B. Perney, M. Caterina Netti, F. Cattaneo, Chris E. Finlayson, and Jeremy J. Baumberg, Determination of Nonlinear Refractive Index in a Ta2O5 Rib Waveguide using Self-Phase Modulation, Optics Express, 12, 5110-5116, (2004).
10. R.D.Harris, B.J.Luff, J.S.Wilkinson, J.Piehler, A.Brecht, G.Gauglitz & R.A.Abuknesha, Integrated Optical Surface Plasmon Resonance Immunoprobe for Simazine Detection”, Biosensors & Bioelectronics, 14, 377-386 (1999).
11. J.E.Román, P.Camy, M.Hempstead, W.S.Brocklesby, S.Nouh, A.Beguin, C.Lerminiaux & J.S. Wilkinson, Ion-exchanged Er/Yb waveguide laser at 1.5μm pumped by a laser diode, Electronics Letters, 31, 1345-1346, (1995).
12. J.Amin, M.Hempstead, J.E.Román, & J.S.Wilkinson, Tunable Coupled-Cavity Waveguide Laser at Room Temperature in Nd-diffused LiNbO3, Optics Letters, 19, 1541-1543, (1994).
13. C.Piraud, E.K.Mwarania, G.Wylangowski, K.O'Dwyer, D.J.Schiffrin, & J.S.Wilkinson, Optoelectrochemical Thin-Film Chlorine Sensor Employing Evanescent Fields on Planar Optical Waveguides, Analytical Chemistry, 64, 651-655 (1992).
Major grants:
Southampton AMR Clinical Research Laboratory; Read, R. Wilkinson, J., Morgan, H., Faust, S., Webb, J. & Clark, T. National Institute of Health Research: £2,739,128; 1/09/19 - 31/03/22
Flexible Raman biosensing platform for low-cost health diagnostics; Wilkinson, J., Read, R., Zervas, M., Bartlett, P. EPSRC EP/R011230/1: £972,875; 1/04/18 - 30/09/22
Combining the Strengths of Mid-IR and Raman Spectroscopies on a Single Chip for Rapid Bedside Biomarker Diagnostics; Ganapathy, S., Clark, H., Postle A. & Wilkinson J. EPSRC EP/S03109X/1: £805,208; 1/10/19 - 31/05/23
MISSION (Mid- Infrared Silicon Photonic Sensors for Healthcare and Environmental Monitoring); Reed, G., Wang, Y., Heffernan, J., Krauss, T., Faust, S., Mowlem, M., Wilkinson, J. and Mashanovich, G. EPSRC EP/V047663/1: £5,757,814; 1/07/21 – 30/06/26
UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Sensing and Timing; Bongs, K. et al., EPSRC EP/T001046/1: £23,949,168; 1/12/19 – 30/11/2024
Impact example:
Founder of Mesophotonics Ltd which first commercialised Klarite SERS chips for biomedical analysis.