- surface plasmons
- meta-surfaces
- optics
- Nanophotonics
- optics and topology
- electromagnetic waves
Education:- Ph. D. Physics, 1987, University of Melbourne
- B. Sc. (Hons. 1st) Physics, 1980, University of Melbourne
Dr. Davis has extensive experience in science delivery, leadership and management. His many leadership roles include Project Leader, responsible for delivering on project outcomes, Team and Group Leader, responsible for oversight of project staff and setting research directions, and Theme Leader, responsible for multiple projects and staff as well as setting overarching research directions. He has more than 30 years experience in science research, both pure and applied, and 15 years experience working in and running a micro fabrication facility at CSIRO, creating micro-scale devices for research and industry. He recently started a business providing consulting services in science for biosensors and document security as well as software for Apple-brand computing products.
Dr. Davis' leadership roles include both secretary and chairman of the Victorian Branch of the Australian Institute of Physics (AIP) and for many years was convenor of the AIP Science Policy Committee. He redrafted the new policy document in 2001 that forms the basis of AIP Science Policy today. He has served on organising committees of international science conferences as well as chairing conference sessions.
He has a strong background in both experimental and theoretical physics, including mathematical principles, experiment design and applications. His skills include mathematical and numerical modelling, software development and computer simulation, electronics design and manufacture, the design and execution of physics-based experiments, data analysis and interpretation. Dr. Davis has worked on many applied projects, such as machine vision systems for aircraft tracking, people tracking and for steel plate manufacture, x-ray detector systems for a CSIRO spin-out company and for in-house research, biosensor development for the detection of biowarfare agents, the growth of semiconductor materials for infrared imaging sensors, instruments for remote sensing and the design of computing devices. He has demonstrated scientific leadership in fundamental research in the creation of nanoscale optical circuits based on localised surface plasmons, including developing theoretical models of plasmon interactions for designing plasmonic devices, and the invention and demonstration of plasmonic difference circuits and modulators.
Dr. Davis has managed interdisciplinary projects involving a broad cross-section of scientific disciplines, such as chemistry, biology, surface science and electronics engineering. He has an excellent track record in research with papers published in Nature, Science, Physical Review Letters and Nano Letters. His lifetime citations of published works exceeds 5000 with an H-index of 33 and an i10 index of 74.