For more than thirty five years, the Center for Advanced Diffusion-Wave and Photoacoustic Technologies (CADIPT) and its predecessor laboratories have been conducting pioneering research on developing unique diagnostic capabilities with diffusion and photoacoustic waves which include a wide range of physical fields and phenomena (thermal, ultrasonic, electronic, photonic, atmospheric, to name a few), thus offering exceptionally wide trans-disciplinary research opportunities. The CADIPT has emerged as a unique research center in this field in Canada and the World. Its research activities offer students, trainees, national and international researchers, including visiting scientists and engineers, opportunities in a wide spectrum of interdisciplinary research including the physics, mathematics, instrumental implementation and experimental applications of novel laser-based analytical inspection and monitoring techniques, high-precision measurement methodologies, environmental sensor device development, analytical, non-destructive and spectroscopic methodologies, signal processing physics and measurement science, as well as new imaging techniques for materials science (nanomaterials, optoelectronics, industrial and biomaterials) as well as health sector applications. Non-destructive and non-invasive imaging has been a growth discipline in the CADIPT. This research scope is a tremendously wide spectrum of learning experience and cross-disciplinary training for our students and researchers and defines the broad long-term research mission of the CADIPT.
The CADIPT is very adaptable to new, fast-evolving scientific and technological challenges which ultimately benefit Canadian competitiveness on the international scale. Outstanding opportunities in the biomedical, industrial products and alternative energy sectors have emerged. Current targeted areas are in the fields of inspection and non-destructive testing/imaging of alternative energy conversion devices (e.g. solar cells, nano-optoelectronic devices), industrial manufactured products (steels, metal composites, automotive and aerospace components) and biomedical and dental diagnostics with major focus on new advanced dynamic imaging modalities and instrumentation. These thrusts largely define our short-term objectives. The seminal role and impact of the CADIPT in strengthening Canada’s and Ontario’s competitiveness through advanced non-destructive materials and process inspection techniques and biomedical diagnostic science and technologies has been acknowledged by awarding the Canada Research Chair (Tier I) in Diffusion-Wave Sciences and Photoacoustic Technologies to the Director, Professor A. Mandelis in 2008 which was renewed in 2016. The CADIPT Research Programs support scientific foundations and instrumentation development of several key diagnostic techniques and complement other ongoing research activities described below.