People

Current Students (2026 Fall)

Undergraduates

Post Doctoral Research Scholar

Collaborators/Visitors

  • Prof. Yushi Kaneda
  • Prof. Youngsik Kim
  • Dr. Chris Summitt

Past Students (Degree, Year), Post-Graduation Employment, and Thesis Title

Yu-kai Shen (MS, 2026),

  • Engineering MEMS Phase Light Modulators for Infrared Beam Steering Applications

Yiran Xie (MS, 2026), PhD Program at University Central Florida

  • MEMS Phase Light Modulator for Optical Cross connect Switch

Dr. Sunglin Wang (PhD, 2026),

  • Ray trace based modeling of X-ray DPC imaging system

Yuxiang Luo (MS Report, 2026), Optics industry

  • A Review and Experimental Study of LiDAR-IMU Data Fusion for 2D Trajectory Reconstruction

Keaton Shurilla (MS, 2026), PhD program at University of Tokyo

  • Multi-wavelength Reconstruction in Volume Holography: Fabrication of 1550nm Gratings with Visible Light

Ignacio Rojas (2026), Transferred to PhD program at The City University of Florida, Prof Ivan Didrojevitic)

Dr. Gregory Michael Nero (PhD, 2025), Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Arizona

  • Multi-Domain Imaging, Display, and Communication Systems

Dr. Xianyue Deng (PhD, 2025), Pico Labs

  • Solid-state Arrayed MEMS-based Beam Steering

Rajesh Shrestha (MS, 2025), Meta

  • From Sub-Megapixel to Multi-Megapixel Resolution:
    A Scalable DMD-PLM Hybrid ToF Solid-State LiDAR with Diffractive and Holographic Beam Steering with Crosstalk Mitigation

Emil Rajan Varghese (MS, 2025), Meta

  • Extreme Engineering of MEMS SLM for Laser Beam Steering

Dr. Parker Liu (PhD, 2025), Arizona Optics Metrology

  • Rethinking Near-to-Eye Displays and Holographic Fiber Endoscopy through Wavelength Multiplexing  

Jaxon Christopher Richards (MS Distance, 2025), Lockheed Martin

  • Quantum Enhanced LiDAR: Improvements to a Classical Staple and Remaining Challenges

Dr. Seyedmohammad Yusofsani (MS, 2024), Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Arizona, University of Colorado, Boulder 

  • Optical Switching for Imaging and Display Applications

John Popoolapade (MS, Distance, 2024), Thales

  • Viability Of Fiber Bundle as a Display Image Conduit For Head-mounted Display in Military Application

Yefu Zhang (MS, 2024), PhD program at University of Central Florida

  • Digital Phase Conjugation and Real-time 3D Object Generation with MEMS Phase Light Modulator

Dr. Ted Liang-tai Lee (PhD, 2024), Amazon

  • Multiplexing for DMD-based Near-to-eye Displays

Jeff Ching-Wen Chan (MS, 2023), Amazon, Apple

  • Diffractive MPPC-LIDAR System with Image Steering and FOV Expansion by Digital Micromirror Device

Yexin Pei (MS 2023), PhD Program at University of Arizona

  • Field Of View Expansion in Diffractive Image Steering System through Digital Micromirror Device and Prism Array

Rae Smith (MS, 2023), Meta

  • Head Mounted Display Augmented Reality Device for Medical Applications

Eunmo Kang (MS, 2022), PhD Program at UCF

  • Large Etendue Solid-state-lidar with MEMS-resonant Mirror Assisted Diffractive Beam Steering by Digital Micro Mirror Devices

Chin-I Tang (MS, 2022), Onto Semi.

  • CUDA-OpenGl GPU-based Real Time Beam Tracking by MEMS Phase SLM

Viveka B Raghu (MS, 2022), ASML

  • MEMS Based Light Modulation for Lidar and Display Applications

Dr. Siddhartha Sirsi (MS, 2021), Nikon

  • Orbiting Astronomical Satellite For Investigating Stellar Systems (OASIS) Space Telescope

Jiafan Guan (MS, 2021), PhD Program at UA, Apple

  • MEMS-based Spatial Light Modulation for Long Term and Infrared Beam Steering Applications

Dr. Brandon Friedman (PhD, 2020), Meta

  • Novel DMD-based Lidar and Display Systems

Chuan Luo (MS, 2020), Leia/Apple/PhD Program at UA

  • Breaking Through The FOV Limit of Augmented Reality Near-to-eye Display with High Resolution by Digital Micromirror Device and Volume Hologram Grating

Nick Demininggus Pekei (MS, 2020), PhD program at Cardiff University

  • Linear Frequency-modulated Continuous Wave Lidar System

Andy Phan (MS, 2019), Corning

  • Scalable and Controllable Fabrication Process for Membrane Mirrors

Joshua Rodriguez (MS, 2019), Tu Simple/Leonard

  • Single-chip Lidar by Multi-order and Multi-pulse Beam Steering with Digital Micro Mirror Device

Dr. Guanghao Chen (MS, 2018), PhD Program at UCSD

  • Applications of Phase and Amplitude Spatial Light Modulators

Matt Salem (MS, Distant, 2018), Raytheon/Ball Aerospace

  • Optical Phased Arrays and Spherical Shift Invariant Sensors for Use in Advanced Lidar Systems

Dr. Aytekin Ozdemir (PhD, 2017), Memorex

  • High Efficient Ultra-thin Flat Optics Based on Dielectric Metasurfaces

Braden Smith (MS, 2017), Sandia National Lab.

  • Single Chip Lidar with Discrete Beam Steering by Digital Micromirror Device

Dr. Chris Summitt (PhD, 2017), Tripel Rings/Nikon Research

  • Fast and Scalable Fabrication of Microscopic Optical Surfaces and Its Application for Optical Interconnect Devices

Paul Winkler (MS, 2017), Micron

  • Single Element Multiplexing and De-multiplexing System for Free Space OAM Communications

Garret Odom (MS, Distant, 2016), Raytheon/Meta

  • Diffusers in Coherently Illuminated, Wide Field of View Applications

Dr. Bo Miller (PhD, 2016), Naval Research Lab.

  • Cavity Techniques for Holographic Data Storage Systems

Tao Ge (MS, 2015), Thorlabs, Molex

  • Phase Contrast Microscopy

Alonzo Espinoza (MS, 2015), NP Photonics, Raytheon

  • Optical Design ff Communication Simulator for Orbital Angular Momentum Based Free-space Link with An Adaptive Optics Receiver

Jilin Yang (MS, 2015), Meta

  • All-Polymer Based Fabrication Process for an All-Polymer Flexible and Parallel Optical Interconnect

Past Collaborators/Visitors

Post Docs

Prof. Jihun kim, KAIST, Associate Professor

Prof. Heejoo Choi, UA Assistant Research Professor

Past Visitors

Dr. Kazu Yamazaki, Hitachi

Dr. Toshi Ishii, Hitachi

Dr. Kenichi Shimada, Hitachi

Dr. Toshiteru Nakamura, Hitachi

Dr. Yusuke Nakamura, Hitachi

Prof. Sung-Wook Min, Kyung Hee University

Prof. Jae-Hyeung Park, Inha University / Seoul National University