TMOS Meta Together Conference 2025

18-21 November 2025

Coogee Bay Boutique Hotel, Coogee, NSW

About Meta Together

Meta Together is the TMOS annual conference.  The purpose of the conference is to connect members of TMOS to share our research and encourage collaboration and engagement across the Centre.

The focus of this year’s TMOS conference will be on collaboration: between TMOS nodes, with end-users/industry, and/or with Partner Investigators (PIs).

Who should attend Meta Together 2025?

Meta-Together 2025 is open to members and guests of TMOS.

Who can present at Meta Together 2025?

Special Tutorial Talks (60 minutes): presented by invited speakers.

Contributed Student Talks (15 minutes): Open to PhD students.

Posters: PhD students and Early Career Researchers (ECRs) can present their work in poster format. Nominations must be made by a TMOS Chief Investigator and will be reviewed and selected by the conference committee.

Meta Shark Tank 2025: A dynamic session where participants pitch innovative ideas to a panel of experts.

Registration

Invited Speakers

We are delighted to announce that our conference will be visited by:

Professor Hannah Joyce

Hannah Joyce is Professor of Electronic and Photonic Engineering at the University of Cambridge. She obtained her BSc and BE degrees from the University of Western Australia in 2005 and her PhD from the Australian National University in 2010. She then joined the University of Oxford as a postdoctoral researcher. In 2013, she established her own research group in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. Her research interests span low-dimensional semiconductor materials, the development of new nanomaterial-enabled optoelectronic systems, and terahertz photonics. She is the recipient of an IEEE Photonics Society Young Investigator Award, a Philip Leverhulme Prize in Engineering, an International Symposium on Compound Semiconductors/Compound Semiconductor Week Young Scientist Award, and the Zhenyi Wang Award.

Professor Jin Liu

Jin Liu is a professor of physics at Sun Yat-Sen University, China. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2012 from Technical University of Denmark. Before moving back to China, he worked with Dr. Kartik Srinivasan at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop integrated quantum photonic technologies. His current research activities cover semiconductor quantum photonics and integrated nonlinear optics by utilizing molecular beam epitaxy, semiconductor nanofabrication and cryogenic optical characterizations.

Professor Yang Chai

Prof. Yang Chai is the Chair Professor of Semiconductor Physics of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer, an IEEE Fellow, an Optica Fellow, the Vice President of the Physical Society of Hong Kong, a member of The Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, and an Associate Editor of ACS Nano. He is a receipt of the Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs in Engineering and Technology for his work on “Breaking the Wall of Efficient Sensory AI Systems” and the BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize. His current research interest mainly focuses on emerging electronic devices.

Professor Goki Eda

Prof. Goki Eda is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Physics and Chemistry at the National University of Singapore (NUS), specializing in two-dimensional (2D) materials. He earned his M.Sc. from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and his Ph.D. from Rutgers University. After a tenure as a Newton International Fellow at Imperial College London, he joined NUS in 2011. Prof. Eda’s research focuses on the electronic and optical properties of 2D semiconductors, particularly excitons, and their applications in quantum photonics and optoelectronics. He has received several accolades, including the President’s Science and Technology Young Scientist Award (2015) and the University Young Researcher Award (2015). Additionally, he serves as an Associate Editor for npj 2D Materials and Applications. His work continues to influence the development of next-generation electronic and photonic devices.

Professor Gao Weibo

Prof. Gao Weibo is Chair of the School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering at NTU Singapore and holds the Dieter Schwarz Endowed Professorship in Quantum Sovereignty and Resilience (QUASAR). He is also a Professor in the Schools of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and Physical & Mathematical Sciences. Prof. Gao serves as Director of the Centre for Quantum Technologies at NTU (CQT@NTU). His research focuses on quantum technologies using solid-state systems like color centers and 2D materials. These platforms support quantum sensing, communication, and integrated photonic computation. He earned his PhD from the University of Science and Technology of China and was a Marie Curie Fellow at ETH Zurich. He joined NTU in 2014 and became Provost’s Chair Professor in 2019. Prof. Gao has received the President’s Young Scientist Award and the World Scientific Medal. He was also named an MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35 (Asia). His work strengthens Singapore’s leadership in quantum science and technological resilience.

Professor Hai Son Nguyen

Hai Son Nguyen holds a degree in Physics (2009) from the École Normale Supérieure de Paris and a PhD in Physics (2011) from the Laboratoire Pierre Aigrain (ENS Paris), where he studied single-photon emission from semiconductor quantum dots. From 2011 to 2014, he was a CNRS postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratoire de Photonique et de Nanostructures, focusing on light-matter coupling in nanophotonics. Since 2014, he has been an Associate Professor at ÉcoleCentrale de Lyon and a junior member of the Institut Universitaire de France (2020–2025). In 2024, he received the Fabry de Gramont Prize for his contributions to non-Hermitian photonics and optoelectronic devices. His research at the Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon focuses on light-matter interactions in three key areas: optical lattices and metasurfaces, perovskite-based emitting devices, and single-photon emitters for telecom wavelengths.

Christina Lim

Christina Lim is an Australian expert on optical wireless communications, radio over fiber, and hybrid “fiber-wireless” networks combining fiber connections to base stations with wireless connections to individual devices. Beyond optical communications, she has also developed transparent displays for augmented reality. She is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Melbourne, where she directs the Photonics and Electronics Research Laboratory. Lim studied electrical and electronic engineering at the University of Melbourne, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in 1995 and completing her Ph.D. in 2000. She has been part of the Photonics Research Laboratory since 1999. Lim was named as an Optica Fellow, in the 2019 class of fellows, “for outstanding and sustained pioneering contributions to the research, development, and applications of fiber-wireless technology in the field of microwave photonics”. She was elected as an IEEE Fellow in 2023, “for contributions in hybrid fiber-wireless communications technology”.

This year our invited speakers were asked to present practical tutorials to the community. Follow the link below to read abstracts of the tutorials.

Coming soon – Tutorials’ abstracts

Shark Tank at Meta

Exciting news! At this year’s Meta Together Conference we’re launching something new… TMOS Shark Tank!

We’re inviting PhD candidates and Early Career Researchers to pitch their coolest ideas—be it a clever gadget, an outreach tool, a research translation concept, or something entirely unexpected.

The Winning Team will get $20,000, while the Runner-up Team will get $10,000 to bring their idea to life within 12 months.

Please note: Prize money is allocated for project funding and is not a personal cash prize.

Why are we doing this? Our goals:

• Foster teamwork and collaboration across nodes,
• Enhance skills in pitching and idea communication,
• Encourage creativity, innovation, and a bit of fun.

What can you pitch?

Pretty much anything! A business idea, a hands-on outreach gizmo, a piece of tech, or even a concept that brings research to real-work impact. During Meta 2025 – each team will have 15 mins to pitch the idea to the sharks. The best pitch wins!

Cross node participation is mandatory, and each team must have between 3-6 participants.

Want to enter?

• Choose a name and a title for your idea/pitch and submit your EOI to Sophia.Aharanovich@uts.edu.au.
• Submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) by the deadline: 31 July 2025.

For eligibility, more information and FAQs, click below:

SHARK TANK AT META – INFO & FAQS

Travel Information

Conference Venue

The conference will be held at the Coogee Bay Hotel, located at 9 Vicar Street, Coogee, New South Wales, 2034.

Established in 1873, the Coogee Bay Hotel has been a central part of the Coogee community for over 150 years. Originally a school in the 1860s, it was transformed into a hotel that quickly became a beloved seaside retreat. Its spacious, sunlit gardens made it a popular destination in the 1920s when Coogee was celebrated as ‘Australia’s most beautiful seaside resort.’ Today, the hotel continues to serve as a cornerstone of the community, offering modern amenities while preserving its rich heritage.

Getting There

The Coogee Bay Hotel is located approximately 14 km from Sydney Airport. Depending on traffic conditions, travel time can range from 20 to 35 minutes.

Taxi: Fares from Sydney Airport to Coogee typically range between AU$32 and AU$60, depending on traffic and time of day. Note that a $5.45 airport toll applies to all taxi departures from the airport. Total travel time is approximately 30 minutes

Uber: Uber fares are generally competitive, often ranging from AU$30 to AU$50 for the trip to Coogee. Uber pickups are available at designated rideshare pickup zones at the airport.

Train & Bus: Take the Airport Link train from Sydney Airport to Central Station. The fare is approximately AU$17.70. From Central Station, you can transfer to Bus Route 370 towards Coogee Beach, which stops near the Coogee Bay Hotel. The bus fare is around AU$4. Total travel time is approximately 45 to 60 minutes, depending on wait times and traffic.

Suggested Accommodation Options

Please note, all accommodation payments must be done by node CIs according to your university requirements and regulations.

Conference Venue

The conference will be held at the Coogee Bay Boutique Hotel, 9 Vicar Street, Coogee New South Wales 2034. Single rooms or twin share rooms are at the venue. There are only limited pre-booked rooms available.

Family/Shared Apartment Hotel near by

For researchers traveling with families, we pre-booked recommended rooms in Adina Apartment Hotel, 183 Coogee Bay Rd, Coogee NSW 2034. This hotel is located about 3oo m from the main venue. Two-Bedroom Queen or King Apartments are available for shared apartment stay as well. Adina Hotel in Coogee

High Level Budget Hotel We Recommend – 1

Crowne Plaza Sydney Coogee Beach, an IHG Hotel is a recently renovated hotel 200 m away from the conference venue at 242 Arden St, Coogee NSW 2034.  The hotel offers 5-star accommodations and with 4.2 stars Google reviews. Please note: the rooms in this hotel are not pre-booked.  Crowne Plaza Sydney Coogee Beach

Medium Level Budget Hotel We Recommend – 2

Coogee Sands Hotel and Apartments, is a 4-star hotel located only 5 min walking distance from the conference venue at 161-167 Dolphin St, Coogee NSW 2034 . This hotel has a record 4.3 stars Google reviews and can be a medium budget booking. Please note: the rooms in this hotel are not pre-booked. Coogee Sands

Low Level Budget Hotel We Recommend – 3

If you are looking into low budget options near the conference venue, we recommend checking a Little Coogee Hotel, 272 Clovelly Rd, Coogee NSW 2034. This is a 3-star hotel with 4.1 stars Google reviews located about 15 min walk from the venue. Please note: the rooms in this hotel are not pre-booked. Little Coogee Hotel

Hotel of Your Choice

Sydney is a very touristic city with a lot of hotel options to choose from. You might choose any other hotel in Coogee area or around Sydney and use public transport or Uber to travel to the venue. Ther are also a lot of Airbnb options available.

Sponsorship