Applied Optics Laboratory Staff

Robert Brown, Laboratory Director
Program management; optical and infrared materials; optical and infrared sensors, including imaging and nonimaging systems; prototype development and testing

Leonor Almada, Research Engineer
Microfabrication, thin-film deposition, lithography, and etching techniques; surface analysis methods including scanning electron microscopy, Auger, and X-ray energy spectroscopy; semiconductor processing and X-ray mask technology

Eric Arons, Senior Research Engineer
Optical systems development, holography and interferometry, optical metrology, medical imaging, computer programming, optical modeling, non-imaging optical design for solar power applications

John M. Baker, Research Physicist
Mesoscopic physics and the physics of low dimensional systems; persistent currents in mesoscopic metal rings; current drag due to electron-electron interactions; semiconductor device physics and radiation effects in microelectronic devices

Marcy A. Berding, Program Manager
Electronic and structural properties of semiconductor alloys; optical coating theory; theory of defects in semiconductor compounds and alloys; surface properties of semiconductor compounds; theoretical studies on the electronic structure of molecular clusters; X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Ian Bruce, Research Engineer
Visible and infrared coatings, polymer chemistry, development and production of boundary materials for optical applications, system integration

Tim Campbell, Research Engineer
Physical Vapor Deposition (PLD, DC Magnetron Sputtering), high temp.; superconductors, multilayer thin films, buffer layers, flux-pinning, grain boundary enhancement, powder processing, XRD, and photo-lithography.

David Fouche, Research Engineer
Prototype and process development and testing; optical and infrared materials and coatings; mechanical design and analysis; rapid prototyping; hands on fabrication.

Todd L. Harris, Research Engineer
Spectral-spatial holography; transient four-wave mixing technologies; analog, correlative, and spread-spectrum optical signal processing; rare-earth-activated optical materials; non-linear laser spectroscopy; laser source development.

Josh Hellhake, Research Engineer
Electromagnetic theory, EM modeling techniques and development, optical and infrared signatures, electromagnetic compatibility, systems engineering

Richard Heydt, Senior Research Engineer
Acoustics, control system analysis, finite-element modeling, thermal/fluid sciences, MHD energy conversion, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)

Richard Hill, Senior Research Engineer
Guided-wave optical modulators, electro-optic polymers, low-loss coupling of laser diode arrays to single-mode fibers, ferroelectric liquid crystal devices, upconverting phosphor applications

Richard C. Honey, Senior Principal Scientist
Lasers and laser applications, laser eye protection technologies, electro-optics, ocean optics, microwaves, antennas

Brooks Hornstein, Research Engineer
Inorganic and materials synthesis and characterization, light-harvesting device development, chemical reactivity at the solid-liquid interface, inorganic reaction mechanisms and kinetics including catalytic systems.

Srinivasan Krishnamurthy, Senior Research Physicist
First principles and empirical band structures of semiconductor compounds, alloys, and superlattices; non-linear and high-field carrier transport in sub-micron devices; tunneling studies and device characteristics of nanoelectron devices; modeling MBE growth; first principles-based molecular dynamics calculations

Philip Melese, Senior Scientist/Program Manager - Optical Systems Program
Project management and Principle Investigator, sensor systems design and development, research physicist, data analysis, simulation

Karen Nashold, Program Manager - Optical Technology Program
Laser eye protection technologies, upconverting phosphor applications, optics, image processing, electromagnetics, and communication theory

Thaddeus Norman, Research Engineer
Synthesis and characterization of nanoscale materials, extended x-ray absorption fine structure (exafs) spectroscopy, time-resolved spectroscopy, photo and radio luminescence spectroscopy

Heyward Robinson, Senior Research Engineer
Optical and electronic modeling of devices and materials; electrochromics; crystalline and thin-film solar cells; infrared detectors; organic and inorganic electronic materials and devices; low cost device fabrication and scale-up; materials and device characterization; biofuels; strategic planning, technology forecasting and business development.

Robert Sharpless, Physicist
Design, construction, and operation of experimental apparatus, including vacuum systems, gas-handling systems, optics, electronics, and mechanical and electromechanical equipment

Rachel "Rat" Sherwood, Senior Analyst
Systems engineering, mission integration, requirements definition, CONOPS development, strategic application, user interface, asymmetric warfare, contingency operations, force protection, tactical deception

James Snyder, Research Engineer
Vacuum deposition systems, infrared and optical thin-films, photovoltaic systems, nanoparticle characterization, self-assembled optical structures, thermal radiation management, optical metamaterial characterization, and resonant MEMS devices for microfluidic transport processes

Erik Torgerson, Research Engineer
Optical materials and device development, fabrication, integration, and characterization. Optical coatings, microstructures, and polymer systems.

Michael Vestel, Research Engineer
Glucose monitors; microneedle drug delivery systems; gas sensors; acoustic (ultra-sonic) wave mass loading sensors for ocean and atmospheric applications; MEMS IR spectrometers; micro-mechanical actuators.

Jeffrey Voss, Program Manager - Optical Materials Program
Electro-optics systems, image processing, and infrared instruments; materials development; lab testing, field demonstrations, and instrument deployments; project leadership

Diane Walter, Senior Research Engineer
Project management, optical hardware prototype development, optical materials development, data analysis and interpretation, remote sensing, laboratory measurements and field tests, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; scanning electron microscopy

Stacey Yamanaka, Senior Research Engineer
Sol-gel chemistry and processing; surface modification, pigment integration in coatings, process development and technology scale-up, project leadership/management.

Zhi Gang Yu, Senior Research Physicist
Theoretical and computational materials and device structures. Spin-dependent electrical transport in semiconductors, polymers, molecules, and device structures (spintronics); electrical transport in disordered semiconductors; nonlinear optical properties in semiconductors and alloys, electron spin resonance and spin relaxation in semiconductors and molecules, electron and energy transport in biological systems such as DNA and proteins; excitons and polarons and their roles in transport and luminescence in biological systems, conjugated polymers, and polymer-based devices (molecular electronics); the competition and cooperation of spin, charge, and lattice in strongly correlated materials, such as conducting polymers, high-Tc superconductors, and related transition metal oxides.