He has been a lecturer at CUED since 1988. His research interests span optical fibre communications for broad-band networks and parallel photonic information processing to facilitate intelligent networks, particularly involving spatial light modulators. He has authored or co-authored over 50 publications and a number of patents. Transmission systems have seen at least an order of magnitude increase in un-repeatered span.
Optical transparency is seen as a key to upgradeability by the major telecommunications operators.
But in order to realise intelligent broad-band networks, photonic switching will be fundamental, and it is in this area that Dr Mears' current research interests lie. This relaxed constraint opens up a variety of possible electro-optic interactions, including those in chiral smectic liquid crystals and nonlinear optical polymers.