Dr Radu-Florin Stancu
About
I am a Research Associate in the Applied Optics Group, part of the consortium working on i4i (Invention for Innovation) project entitled “Sensorised Micro-Surgical Robot for Safe Regenerative Retinal Therapy Delivery”.
Born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, I trained as an Applied Science Engineer at the Politehnica Bucuresti University, and moved to the UK in 2011 for my PhD studies in Physics.
My personal hobbies include travelling, cooking, history (proud member of the English Heritage), amateur tennis player.
Research interests
My scientific research interests include Optical Coherence Tomography applications, broadband light sources for imaging, MATLAB programming, photonic crystal computer design and optical simulation, fibre lasers for lithotripsy and microwave photonics. My most recent peer reviewed publications include:
1. Shuo Li, Zhanzhi Liu, Ailing Zhang, Honggang Pan, Radu-Florin Stancu, Yuanli Yue, Ruibo Zhang, and Chao Wang, High-Speed and High-Resolution Optical Fiber Sensor Interrogation Based on Optical Injection in Semiconductor Laser and Microwave Filtering, Journal of Lightwave Technology
2. F Toadere, RF Stancu, W Poon, D Schultz, A Podoleanu, "1 MHz akinetic dispersive ring cavity swept source at 850 nm", IEEE Photonics Technology Letters 29 (11), 933-936 (2017)
3. RF Stancu, AG Podoleanu, "Dual mode-locked swept sources for SS-OCT", Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging 17 (9), 96972H (2016)
My Doctorate Diploma was awarded by the University of Kent in July 2016, for the Thesis entitled “Akinetic Tuneable Optical Sources with Applications”. A novel dual-mode-locking mechanism was developed in order to tune an akinetic swept source based on dispersive cavities at a repetition rate close to, but different from the inverse of the cavity roundtrip. For the 1550 nm swept source employing a Faraday Rotating Mirror in a dispersive cavity, sweeping rates in the range of MHz were achieved, from 782 kHz to up to 5 times this value, with proportional decrease in the tuning bandwidth. Linewidths smaller than 60 pm and output powers exceeding 10 mW were measured. OCT topographic imaging was demonstrated.
My interests also include Educational Research, focusing on improving teaching techniques, student learning and improving student motivation and delivering CPD for teaching staff. In 2018, I have developed and delivered at Wye School a project entitled “A-level Master Class”, aimed at supporting students in dwelling less on prior experiences and unsuccess and focusing more on strategies to use in building a stronger sense of efficacy. Data has revealed that most students are motivated by the practical experience, while some are interested in the challenges and value of problem solving. The conclusions extracted from questionnaires revealed a significant increase in student motivation when faced with challenging learning activities in Physics.
Teaching
I have been teaching both Physics and Mathematics uninterruptedly since 2015, for several key stages, A-level, Oxford and Cambridge STEP examination, and University Foundation.
I have also been involved in several extra-curricular activities for A-level students, from which I would particularly like to mention the project entitled “Scanning the eye – a mission to save retinas and lives”, based on my experience as a University PhD student and researcher in the field of Optical Coherence Tomography.
Professional
For two years (2020 and 2021) I held the roles of Curriculum Director for Mathematics, leading a team of nine professionals, and Principal Examiner for University Foundation Physics at CATS College Canterbury (currently known as the Worthgate School).
Since 2022, I have been appointed as the Chair of the Ethnic Minorities in Canterbury (registered charitable organisation) and I have previously presided over the Romanian Social Club in Canterbury.
Up to 2015, I have been a top leader in student organisations, including the OSA Chapter at the University of Kent.