Rate My Professor Arnan Mitchell

Professor Arnan Mitchell is a Distinguished Professor in the School of Engineering at RMIT University, serving as Director of the Micro Nano Research Facility (MNRF), a $60 million infrastructure for photonic chip research and development, and Director of the Integrated Photonics and Applications Centre (InPAC). Over a 20-year career at RMIT, he has built the university's photonics research capability through extensive national and international collaborations. Mitchell is an expert in integrated photonics, specializing in multi-disciplinary microtechnology that develops platforms integrating circuits to control fluids, vibrations, and light. His research interests include simulation, design, microfabrication, and systems integration in integrated optics, nonlinear optics, microwave photonics, lab-on-a-chip devices, photonic signal processing, and micro platforms. These technologies enable applications such as detecting diseases in blood, measuring ocean contaminants, monitoring bridge structural integrity, guiding spacecraft and submarine trajectories, and advancing high-speed digital information transmission and processing.

Mitchell founded and leads InPAC, a team of more than 40 researchers focused on translating photonic innovations into practical solutions via strong industry engagement. The centre excels in integrated photonic design, chip fabrication, packaging, interfacing, and applications including high-speed internet, defence photonic sensing, and photonic biosensors for disease diagnosis. His leadership and contributions have earned prestigious awards: the RMIT Vice-Chancellor's Research Excellence Award (2012), RMIT Research Excellence Team Award (2012) for the Microplatforms Group, and RMIT Early Career Teaching Award (2005). Mitchell's influence in the field is demonstrated through highly cited publications in top journals. Key works include '11 TOPS photonic convolutional accelerator for optical neural networks' (Nature, 2021), 'Nanostructured tungsten oxide–properties, synthesis, and applications' (Advanced Functional Materials, 2011), 'A shear gradient–dependent platelet aggregation mechanism drives thrombus formation' (Nature Medicine, 2009), 'Status and potential of lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) for photonic integrated circuits' (Laser & Photonics Reviews, 2018), 'Ultra-dense optical data transmission over standard fibre with a single chip source' (Nature Communications, 2020), and 'Lithium niobate photonics: Unlocking the electromagnetic spectrum' (Science, 2023). These publications underscore his advancements in photonic accelerators, materials, biomedical applications, and spectrum technologies.