I have had the pleasure of working with Dr Joseph Wolfenden (Joe) for almost ten years. In July 2015, he joined my QUASAR Group as a PhD student who had graduated from Manchester University the year before.
Joe’s early work focussed on R&D into novel beam diagnostics using both optical and THz radiation, building upon work that other QUASARs, in particular Dr Ralph Fiorito, had previously done. His work took him to experimental campaigns at KEK in Japan, Diamond Light Source in the UK, and MAX IV in Sweden. The results of his work were published in a comprehensive journal article in 2019, the year he completed his PhD. Joe has since driven technology innovations and measurement campaigns as an experienced researcher in optical diagnostics who is widely recognized for the quality of his work, and who has given invited talks at many of the leading research conferences in our field.
Throughout his work, Joe has consistently demonstrated excellent scientific and technical knowledge and a number of world-first measurements have positioned him as a rising star in a very challenging area.
His research has included the development of pioneering 4D transverse phase space diagnostics and longitudinal bunch profile diagnostics. Both techniques are critical for optimizing accelerator performance. His work on applying artificial intelligence to the relatively new concept of virtual diagnostics connects extremely well with our group’s wider activities in data science and opens entirely new avenues for enhancing the precision and efficiency of accelerator operations.
Beyond his technical contributions, Joe has also demonstrated exemplary leadership skills. As a key member of the AWAKE and EuPRAXIA projects, he has driven advancements in beam instrumentation and actively mentored and co-supervised junior researchers, fostering a collaborative and supportive research environment. His contributions to other projects such as PERLE further underline his strong contributions to our community.
Finally, Joe and I also have the pleasure of running multi-award-winning company D-Beam together. This has led to several successful projects and the transfer of several prototype technologies to wider applications and markets.
It has been an immense pleasure working with Joe for almost a decade, and this year’s Postdoc Appreciation week is a good opportunity to openly say a BIG “Thank you, Joe, for all of your many contributions to our group! It has been a fun ride and you can be proud of your excellent research results. I look forward to our continued collaboration.”
Prof Carsten Welsch, University of Liverpool