Rate My Professor Simon Fleming

Professor Simon Fleming is a Professor of Optics in the School of Physics within the Faculty of Science at the University of Sydney. He received his PhD in 1987 on the characterisation of optical fibres. In 1994, he joined the University of Sydney on a three-year fixed-term research-only position working on specialty optical fibres, and has remained there continuously, exceeding 30 years of service. Possessing over 40 years of experience, he is a prominent research leader in photonics. His investigations have centered on optical fibre technology, covering all facets from materials development to device fabrication and system integration.

Fleming's ongoing research targets wearables utilizing novel fibres, in harmony with the Faculty of Science Research Strengths in Communication Technologies. He has published over 300 works, garnering thousands of citations that highlight his substantial influence in the field. Select publications encompass "Performance Optimization of Polymer Fibre Actuators for Soft Robotics" (Polymers, 2020), "Progress in creating second-order optical nonlinearity in chalcogenide glasses" (Frontiers of Optoelectronics, 2010), and "Waveguiding and nonlinear optical properties of three tellurite glasses" (Applied Physics Letters, 2008). In leadership capacities, he directs the University of Sydney Research & Prototype Foundry as Academic Director and contributes to the Institute of Photonics and Optical Science and Sydney Nano. He formerly presided over the Australian Optical Society in 2018 and will be inducted as an IEEE Photonics Society Fellow in 2026. His endeavors include spearheading Physics Grand Challenges projects, sensors and automation networks, radiative cooling textiles, and blood pressure wearable innovations, advancing photonics in biomedical and sustainable applications.