Current research topics

• Inverse design for photonic/optical components

Instead of designing optical components by hand and testing them, I use inverse design (topology/shape optimization) to let an algorithm discover the material structure that produces a desired optical response. Starting from a target, for example a transmission spectrum or a diffraction pattern, and the method iteratively optimises the refractive-index or material layout to meet it. I apply this to components such as broadband optical filters, diffraction gratings, and waveguides, often with constraints that keep the resulting designs physically realistic and manufacturable. 

• Computer generated holograms

Computer-generated holograms encode a target image or wavefront into a physical structure that reshapes incoming light. I develop material-constrained optimization methods for designing such holograms, so that the computed solution respects what the fabrication material and process can actually produce. Compared to classical approaches like the Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm, this yields holograms that are directly manufacturable, in my case through photopatterning of liquid crystals. 

• Liquid crystal photonics

Liquid crystals are soft, birefringent materials whose molecular orientation can be patterned with light and reconfigured with external fields, making them a versatile platform for tunable optics. I study how to arrange and control liquid-crystal structures to build photonic devices such as diffraction gratings, waveguides, and holographic elements. Using techniques like photoalignment, these devices can be reoriented electrically or optically, enabling low-power, reconfigurable components for light control.