10 – 13 November 2026

Wrest Point, Hobart, Tasmania

About Meta Together

Meta Together is the annual conference of TMOS. Its purpose is to bring members together to share research, foster collaboration and engagement across the Centre, and build a lasting legacy beyond TMOS.

Who should attend Meta Together 2026?

Meta-Together 2026 is open to members and guests of TMOS.

Who can present at Meta Together 2026?

Invited Talks (40 minutes)

Invited Focused Tutorials (40 minutes)

Contributed Talks (15 minutes)

Posters: PhD students and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) can present their work in poster format. Nominations must be indorsed by a TMOS Chief Investigator.

Dragon’s Den 2026: A dynamic session where participants pitch innovative ideas to a panel of experts.

Invited Speakers

Prof. Yeshaiahu (Shaya) Fainman “Foundry enable photonics and applications”

Prof. Fainman is involved in design and realization of ultrafast and miniature optical systems. Current research interests in his group include photonic crystals (band gap); 3-D holographic optical storage for image processing; the investigation of artificial dielectric properties of nanostructures; transparent photonic switching fabric and networks; diffractive optics with multifunctionality; and quantum communications and cryptography for photonic network security and privacy.

Optical signal processing is a major thrust of Fainman’s research, and he is pioneering development of optical code division multiple access (OCDMA), an optical version of the CDMA technology on which most U.S. wireless telephone systems are currently based. OCDMA itself is based on a technique called NSTP–nonlinear spatio-temporal processing. It utilizes pulses from femtosecond lasers to enable the conversion of spatial and temporal information from one domain to the other. Fainman says OCDMA is intrinsically more secure than traditional wavelength division or time division multiplexing and will permit optical networks to operate in excess of 1 terabit per second.

Fainman is a Cymer Professor of Advanced Optical Technologies in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He received his M.Sc and Ph.D degrees from Technion, Israel in 1979 and 1983, respectively. From 1990, he has been directing research of the Ultrafast and Nanoscale Optics group at UCSD and has helped to make pioneering contributions to utilizing near field optical phenomena in inhomogeneous and meta-materials, nanophotonics and plasmonics, nonlinear optics of femtosecond pulses and non-conventional imaging. His research applications target information technologies and biomedical sensing. He has past experience in leading large-scale multidisciplinary projects. For example, in the early 90’s he was director of a project on “Photonic Imaging Networks,” supported by the Focused Research Initiative program of BMDO. Also, as director, he has led one of DARPA’s OptoCenters (Optofluidics), DARPA’s Si Phaser and NACHOs programs, and he is currently a Deputy Director of NSF’s Engineering Research Center known as the Center for Integrated Access Networks–CIAN. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, and recipient of the Miriam and Aharon Gutvirt Prize, Technion, Haifa, Israel (1982), Lady Davis Fellowship (2006), and Brown award (2006). His current research interests are in near field optical science and technology compatible with CMOS manufacturing. Specific research projects include (i) design, fabrication and experimental validation of nanoscale resonant optical structures and devices exploiting both dielectric and metalo-dielectric nanostructures; (ii) nanoscale lasers and evanescent field imaging and sensing; (iii) plasmonic nanostructures for electromagnetic field localization beyond diffraction limit, enabling biomedical sensing and imaging on the nanoscale in all three spatial dimensions; (iv) optofluidics technology integrating microfluidics with micro- and nano-scale optics for sensing and monitoring; (v) optical signal and information processing using femtosecond laser pulses; (vi) quantum cryptography, communication, and quantum information processing; and (vi) multidimensional quantitative imaging in near and far fields. He has contributed over 200 manuscripts in peer review journals and over 350 conference presentations and conference proceedings.

Prof. Irina Kabakova “Brillouin and quantum imaging”

Dr Irina Kabakova is a Professor in Optical Physics with the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, UTS. She specialises in developing novel microscopy techniques based on Brillouin light scattering that can be directly applied to map local compressibility and viscoelasticity of cells and tissues at the microscale. She also has interests in photonic integration and miniaturisation of imaging setups that will enable translation of laboratory techniques towards clinical use.

Irina is an alumna of Moscow State University (2004-2007), where she did her Masters Degree in nonlinear optics, and the University of Sydney (2008-2011) where she undertook her PhD in nonlinear optics, high-Q cavities and all-optical switching. Irina held various research positions at the University of Sydney, Nanoscience Centre AMOLF in Amsterdam, and Imperial College London before moving to UTS in 2017.

In 2018, Irina received a prestigious Australian Research Council Discovery award to construct the first in Australia Brillouin Imaging (BI) Facility and study application of BI to understanding mechanobiology of bone and lung cells. This research aims to explain how pathological processes within these biological systems alter their micromechanical properties and apply BI as a diagnostics tool for various human diseases and conditions.

As a dedicated educator, Irina has contributed to the development of several teaching programs for UTS’s Bachelor of Science in Physics degree (Optics, Medical Devices and Diagnostics, Medical Imaging Technology). She is a core member of the Institute of Biomedical Materials and Devices (IBMD@UTS). To date, she has attracted a combined total of over $70m in research funding – a major achievement in a relatively short scientific career. She is a Chief Investigator in the Australian Research Council Centers of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology (QUBIC) and Optical Microcombs for Breakthrough Science (COMBS).

In 2022, Irina received the Australian and New Zealand Optical Society (ANZOS) Award for Mid-Career Scientists and the Mid-Career Researcher Award from UTS in 2023. She has published widely in top tier journals and books including Nature Methods, Nature Communications, Small and Biofabrication. She has also been a keynote, plenary and invited speaker at conferences in Australia, Europe and USA.

Prof. Kristinn Gylfason “A guide to the design and packaging of silicon photonic MEMS”

Kristinn B. Gylfason received the title of Docent in Micro- and Nanosystems in 2015 and the PhD degree in Electrical Engineering in 2010, both from KTH. He received the MSc and BSc degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iceland in 2003 and 2001, respectively. In the spring term of 2002, he did an exchange at the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA. From 2003 through 2005, he was a research engineer at Lyfjathroun Biopharmaceuticals, Iceland, and in 2005 he received the Steinmaur Foundation nanotechnology graduate study scholarship. He received the Göran Gustafsson Young Researcher Price as well as the largest Young Researcher grant awarded by the Swedish Research Council to KTH in 2011. During spring 2013, Kristinn was a visiting post-doctoral scholar at the Photonics Group, Ghent University, Belgium.

Kristinn Gylfason is researching nanophotonics and how they can enhance our environmental monitoring and communication systems. The localization of hidden sources of greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide and methane, is becoming increasingly important due to global warming. Through the tools of nanophotonics, small and inexpensive gas sensors can be manufactured in large volumes to establish global networks of environmental monitoring sensors. Kristinn and his research team have developed miniaturized optical carbon dioxide and methane sensors that can be integrated into smartphones or flown around in drones to ensure air quality and locate emissions. As the need for data communication continues to grow, more of our communication systems are becoming optical. By employing nanophotonic methods, energy-intensive microelectronic circuits can be replaced with light circuits capable of handling large amounts of data with minimal energy consumption. Kristinn and his research group have developed such light circuits that can dramatically reduce power consumption in data centers.

Prof. Sejeong Kim “Structured light and chiral photonics”

Dr. Sejeong Kim is an Associate Professor at the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University. She received her PhD in Physics from KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) and was a research fellow at the University of Technology Sydney before joining Melbourne.

She led the Melbourne Integrated Nanophotonics Engineering (MINE) lab, where her research focuses on light-matter interactions at the nanoscale, particularly involving photonic and plasmonic cavities, quantum light sources, and 2D materials. Dr. Kim is an OPTICA Ambassador and the Chair of OPTICA’s Nanophotonics Technical Group. Her contributions to integrated nanophotonics have been recognized with several awards, including the 2022 Ivan P. Kaminow Outstanding Early Career Professional Prize, the Young Tall Poppy Science Award.

Day 1 – Wednesday 11 November 2026

Day 2 – Thursday 12 November 2026

Day 3 – Friday 13 November 2026

Dragon’s Den at Meta

Exciting news! Building on the fantastic success of last year’s Shark Tank session, we’re introducing something new at this year’s Meta Together Conference…

TMOS Dragon’s Den!

We’re inviting PhD candidates and Early Career Researchers to pitch their coolest ideas—be it a clever gadget, an outreach tool, a research translation concept, or something entirely unexpected.

The Winning Team will get $$$$, while the Runner-up Team will get $$$ to bring their idea to life within 12 months.

Please note: Prize money is allocated for project funding and is not a personal cash prize.

Why are we doing this? Our goals:

• Foster teamwork and collaboration across nodes,
• Enhance skills in pitching and idea communication,
• Encourage creativity, innovation, and a bit of fun.

What can you pitch?

Pretty much anything! A business idea, a hands-on outreach gizmo, a piece of tech, or even a concept that brings research to real-work impact. During Meta 2026 – each team will have 15 mins to pitch the idea to the Dragons. The best pitch wins!

Cross node participation is mandatory, and each team must have between 3-6 participants.

Want to enter?

• Choose a name and a title for your idea/pitch and submit your EOI to tmos@anu.edu.au
• Submit your application by the deadline: 31 August 2026.

For eligibility, more information and FAQs, click below:

DRAGON’S DEN AT META – INFO & FAQS

Accommodation

Please note that all accommodation bookings and payments must be arranged by Node Chief Investigators (CIs) in accordance with your university’s policies and financial regulations.

Conference Venue

The conference will be held at Wrest Point, 410 Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Wrest Point offers a range of accommodation options to suit different needs. In addition to standard hotel room configurations, twin-share rooms are available. Accommodation options are also suitable for TMOS members travelling with family.

Registration