Southern Photonics - About Us

Company Profile

Operating from Auckland, New Zealand, Southern Photonics specializes in optical pulse diagnostic equipment, providing instruments for characterizing short optical pulses used in high speed optical communications systems and those produced by mode locked lasers.


The company manufactures self-contained instruments that employ various different gating techniques combined with spectral analysis to provide detailed information on the amplitude and phase of picosecond duration optical pulses. The pulse analyzers are fully software-controlled to allow for straightforward pulse retrieval, and can be customised for use with different sources and in different applications. These analysers have been supplied to customers in Australasia, Europe, North America and Asia.


The company now offers a range of optical pulse test and measurement equipment for use in the telecommunications industry, and in research laboratories worldwide, including newly introduced high speed spectrum analyzers and pulse sources.


Southern Photonics exhibits at major trade shows worldwide. Check our News page for upcoming technical exhibitions and recent publications, or contact us for more information and details.

Management Team

  • Chief Technical Officer

    Prof. John Harvey

    Prof. John Harvey founded the company in 2001. He is an internationally-recognized scientist in the fields of physics and optical communications and over the space of 30 years has built the Optics Group at Auckland into a world-class team of researchers.
  • Chief Engineer

    Dr David Hirst

    Dr. David Hirst joined the company in 2005, bringing with him his experience of optical systems manufacturing and quality planning. He has previously spent 4 years as a production project manager for JDS Uniphase (Oxford) then 3 years as head of R&D at Afonics Fibreoptics.
  • Senior Engineer

    Dr Regan Watts

    Dr. Regan Watts leads the development team, with many years of combined mechanical, software, electronics and optics experience in the construction of practical short-pulse sources and measurement systems.
  • Head of Marketing

    Sung Hoon Im

    Sung Hoon Im has a rich experience with ultra-short pulse generation, compression and characterisation. He is the main contact person of the company for product information and sales enquiries. In addition to the marketing and PR work, he is also involved with research and development.

Scientific Advisory Board

  • Professor E. Ippen

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Professor D. Richardson

    Optoelectronics Research Centre Southampton

  • Professor J. Dudley

    Université de Bourgogne

  • Dr. S. Poole

    Engana Ltd, Sydney