Faculty News

A new award of $4.5M is set to fund CHIRP, the CHanneled Infrared Polarimeter, a compact tool that can provide scientists with extremely accurate data essential, and previously unattainable across all conditions, for long-term climate change modeling. Principal Investigator (PI) Meredith Kupinski, associate professor of optical sciences at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, and Science PI Sylvia Sullivan, assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering at the College of Engineering, are leading the project as part of NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) Instrument Incubator Program (IIP). NASA Press Release. The Instrument Incubator Program funds novel instruments, like CHIRP, to launch new technologies for future Earth-observing missions focused on pursuing pressing Earth science phenomena.

Associate Professor Euan McLeod was named in the Photonics100 List by Electro Optics, a company dedicated to providing uncompromised, informed commentary and analysis on topics of interest to the global photonics industry. "The Photonics100 celebrates the people who are pushing the photonics industry forward, whether as the inventors, manufacturers, or end users of technology."

Tech Launch Arizona and the Wyant College of Optical Sciences had a great lunch with Faculty Innovation Ambassador Hong Hua on Friday, Oct. 11. There were amazing discussions about research, innovation and creating real-world impact! Hong led the conversation alongside Dean Tom Koch and TLA's Rakhi Gibbons and Rich Weite. Look for opportunities to connect with Hong or Rich if you have further questions, let's keep the conversation going! Rich will be hosting his next "Wednesday with Rich" on Nov. 6.

Researchers working with Jason Jones, John Paul Schaefer endowed chair in optical sciences and professor, have developed a breakthrough approach for optical atomic clocks. The new work significantly reduces the complexity of traditional designs while maintaining high accuracy and stability. By utilizing a single frequency comb laser, this new clock design eliminates the need for multiple complex laser systems, making it more practical for real-world applications.

From September 25-27, 2024, the Wyant College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona hosted the XII Conference on Ultrafast Dynamics & Metastability and Ultrafast Bandgap Photonics at the Ventana Canyon Golf & Racquet Club in Tucson. Organized by Rolf Binder, Wyant College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, and Michael Rafailov, University of Alberta, Canada, the conference brought together leading scientists and researchers from around the world.

UPDATE: On Sunday, October 6, 2024, Daewook Kim, associate professor of optical sciences, and Roger Angel, professor of astronomy and optical sciences, were featured on KOLD News 13 discussing the potential for the twisting heliostat.
Kim and Angel are working to pioneer a new approach to heliostat design for concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. Their innovation aims to deliver solar thermal energy at exceptionally high concentrations throughout the day. It is believed that their work into this technology could potentially be the forerunner for advanced applications like atmospheric carbon removal—literally providing the energy needed for carbon capture and removal from the air. 

Congratulations to Kyle Seyler, assistant professor of optical sciences, on his selection as a 2024 Early Career Award winner by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), part of the Early Career Research Program (ECRP). Seyler’s proposal, titled "Light-Driven Proximity Control of Designer Moiré Nanomaterials," focuses on exploring light-induced quantum phases in two-dimensional (2D) moiré nanomaterials.

A publication from the Takashima Lab on all-MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) LIDAR was selected as one of the five best papers published in the journal of Micromachines in 2022. The Micromachines Best Paper Awards Committee, selected "All-MEMS Lidar Using Hybrid Optical Architecture with Digital Micromirror Devices and a 2D-MEMS Mirror" as one of five winners of the Micromachines  Best Paper Awards for 2022 (2,500 CHF) from among 2260 published papers. Congratulations to the authors!

Heejoo Choi, associate research professor of optical sciences, was recently appointed as an associate editor for Optica's journal, Continuum, a peer-reviewed, open access journal that focuses on research spanning the full breadth of optics and photonics. Choi brings his extensive expertise in optical engineering and metrology to his role as an editor. He encourages researchers to submit their work, particularly in areas such as optical system design, optics fabrication, and testing, including studies with negative results, as they can contribute valuable insights to the scientific community. Submissions may be made to Continuum through the Optica system.

Judy Su, associate professor of optical sciences and biomedical engineering, has been awarded the Craig M. Berge Dean Fellowship and recognized as an ASME Rising Star, two prestigious honors that highlight her groundbreaking contributions to science and engineering.