Early Career Awards List

Wyant College of Optical Sciences Faculty Early Career Awards


The Wyant College of Optical Sciences celebrates the success of our early‑career faculty who have received prestigious national and international awards. These honors recognize excellence in research, education, and leadership during the formative years of an academic career.

Years Active: 2026-2031

Abstract: Label-free biomedical optical imaging (LBI) is a technology used to study tissues by measuring interactions between tissue and light. This CAREER project will link biological activity to the signals detected by LBI. The goal is to determine how biological changes, such as changes in how genes are expressed, affect the way light interacts with tissue. The research will create new artificial intelligence (AI) methods to map the relationship between gene activity and LBI. The results could lead to better tools for diagnosing disease, studying tissue health, and improving pathology. In addition, the project includes a strong educational plan to prepare future leaders in bioengineering and AI. New learning activities will be created for students and the public that combine biology and AI. These activities will be designed to improve public understanding of AI and prepare students for modern science and technology careers. Overall, this project supports national interests by advancing leadership in biotechnology, optics, and AI.

A major knowledge gap exists in understanding how high-level biological changes influence interaction between light and tissue. The goal of this CAREER project is to establish a clear, measurable relationship between changes in gene networks and contrast observed in LBI. The research will measure tissue-wide gene expression patterns and determine how these patterns influence optical properties such as tissue fluorescence. First, the project will define how alterations in gene networks correspond to changes in LBI contrast across tissues. Second, new LBI image features and feature extraction algorithms will be developed to better represent transcriptomic signatures. Third, the relationship between gene expression and LBI will be incorporated into novel AI models to digitally analyze and classify tissues without chemical assays. This framework will help improve interpretation of optical imaging data and develop novel applications of AI in biotechnology. The project will advance biomedical imaging and AI by enabling rapid, non-destructive estimation of gene network activity and by establishing a general framework that can be extended to other optical methods and biological systems.

Years Active: 2025-2030

Abstract: This project is focused on foundational Quantum Information Science research involving the creation of macroscopic quantum states and the study of thermodynamics at microscopic scales. These efforts address essential scientific questions about the limits of quantum coherence and control, which are central to advancing quantum technologies and understanding how quantum principles govern physical systems at macroscopic scales.
The research will use optically levitated nanoparticles, tiny dielectric spheres held in place by laser light, as a building block to create collections of correlated quantum particles. These systems offer exceptional isolation from the environment and access to both mechanical and optical degrees of freedom, making them well suited for exploring quantum effects. The project will develop new techniques for coherent quantum control of multiple particles by combining laser trapping, structured light-matter interactions, and real-time quantum measurement and feedback. This approach, particularly coupling multiple particles to a common light field confined in an optical cavity, will enable the investigation of many-body quantum dynamics and the behavior of energy and information flow in regimes where classical thermodynamics no longer applies.
The work is expected to generate new insights into quantum correlations, coherence, and thermodynamics in engineered nanoscale systems. These results will contribute directly to the scientific foundation needed for controlling complex quantum systems and designing more robust quantum devices.
In the long term, this research may lead to the development of new types of energy-efficient quantum technologies that operate by harnessing macroscopic quantum effects.

Years Active: 2025-2028

Abstract: The objective of this research project is to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of domain walls driven by ultrafast laser light in two-dimensional (2D) antiferromagnets. Layered van der Waals antiferromagnets have been intensely studied over the last few years to understand magnetic ordering, spin dynamics, spin-charge-lattice coupling, and magnetic manipulation strategies in the 2D limit. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding of 2D antiferromagnetic domain walls, especially their control both in and out of equilibrium. Active manipulation of spin textures such as domain walls is at the vanguard of antiferromagnetic spintronics research and a promising route to realize faster and more efficient logic, data processing, and memory devices. Thus, systematic studies of antiferromagnetic domain walls in new, highly tunable material platforms with novel manipulation schemes are critical. Here we propose combining equilibrium tuning knobs and ultrafast magnon excitation schemes to investigate the nonequilibrium behavior of domain walls in different types of 2D antiferromagnets. We will use linear and nonlinear optical imaging to detect the domain walls and investigate their thermal, doping, and electric field stability and spatial control. Concurrently, we will measure the effect of these parameters on ultrafast magnon generation using time-resolved nonlinear optical spectroscopy. With these newly developed controls, we will isolate and trap single antiferromagnetic domain walls and measure their spatiotemporal response to ultrafast magnon excitations. We will further demonstrate the ability to position multiple domain walls next to each other and investigate their collisional dynamics after ultrafast excitation. Our work will advance our understanding of antiferromagnetic domain wall physics, 2D spin dynamics, and magnon-spin texture interactions, revealing new approaches for precise, high-speed control of domain walls.

Years Active: 2024-2029

Abstract: Exposing quantum materials to intense electromagnetic stimulation can induce novel emergent phenomena that are unattainable in thermodynamic equilibrium. In recent years, extensive experimental work has aimed to discover new quantum phases driven by ultrafast laser pulses, which can enhance our knowledge of quantum many-body systems out of equilibrium and enrich the possibilities for next-generation quantum technologies. However, we lack a systematic understanding of how nonequilibrium quantum phases emerge, what forms they can take, and how to control them. A promising approach to bridge this knowledge gap and foster new technological developments is to integrate ultrafast control techniques with nanomaterial systems that possess flat electronic bands, since they possess rich quantum phases, high sensitivity to small perturbations, and versatile equilibrium control knobs that can unlock new territory for nonequilibrium exploration.
 
This project will develop and deploy novel ultrafast driving protocols to realize nonequilibrium electronic and magnetic phases in two-dimensional (2D) moiré nanomaterials. Femtosecond laser excitation can generate rapid light-induced effects in different 2D materials, including charge/spin dynamics and phase transitions. Our strategy is to use tailored laser pulses to photo-excite 2D materials in proximity to a moiré bilayer, which can quickly modify the moiré parameters in a non-local fashion. Specifically, we will harness interlayer charge transfer, photo-induced insulator-to-metal transitions, and ultrafast magnetization dynamics to generate rapid doping, screening changes, and magnetic exchange field control in a target moiré material. These three ultrafast “proximity pumping” protocols will be combined with traditional photodoping control and equilibrium moiré tuning knobs, such as electrostatic doping and electric field, to systematically investigate the response of 2D moiré magnetism and correlated insulating states far from equilibrium. This research will address fundamental questions about moiré quantum materials, enable new functionalities for quantum optoelectronics, and establish a strategy for precisely tailoring light and matter to create, understand, and control nonequilibrium phases.

Years Active: 2024-2029

Abstract: A way to extend the human eye’s capability is to create a fuller view of an object than is available in a traditional camera. This can be achieved via polarimetric imaging, which considers polarization of light that corresponds to every pixel in an image to create a better image of the object. Polarization of light can be thought of as compartmentalizing the electromagnetic light wave into subcomponents. These subcomponents are used by polarimetric cameras to reveal information that is normally not available in regular cameras. With the introduction of commercial polarimetric cameras in 2018, there has been a growing interest in polarization for computer graphics, physics-based modeling, and vision algorithms. Common indoor environments exhibit relatively small polarization attributes that can still provide valuable information. These can be modeled computationally and can be used to augment the capabilities provided by traditional cameras. This project envisions simulating the polarization attributes of indoor environments to answer the question: “If polarization sensitivity is added to webcams, conferencing capture systems, and cellphone cameras, what new capabilities will be possible?” This project will provide the research community with an open-source polarization image library and data synthesis pipeline to demonstrate our novel computational approaches, which can be adapted for vision, graphics, and the design of capture systems in the pursuit of informatics from commercial polarimetry. Training researchers, including those from Native American communities, for entrepreneurial pursuits at the intersection of computational and optical sciences is a legacy goal of this research. This education plan will leverage the University of Arizona’s exemplary student resources. To increase students’ awareness of the economic opportunities made possible by their education, entrepreneurship will be valued and practiced in research activities.
 
This research will investigate from three perspectives: mathematical (e.g., inverse problems), computational (e.g., Monte Carlo ray tracing), and optical physics (e.g., appropriate physical assumptions for commonplace indoor materials). Current simulations rely on generic representations of polarimetric light-matter interactions that are overly complex and lack insight from empirical observations. This research will investigate fundamental changes to computing polarized light-matter interactions that are: (i) compressed by a factor of two given simplifications appropriate for many indoor materials; (ii) physically constrained when interpolated or averaged; (iii) compatible with quaternion rotation; and (iv) statistically evaluated using a representation that facilitates importance sampling in the polarimetric domain. The improved accuracy and computational efficiency of our proposed approach will enable unprecedented exploration of plausible inverse solutions. Our library of indoor polarimetry will be a new resource for data-driven learning methods and a long-term impact of this research.

Years Active: 2023-2028

Abstract: High-Q nanomechanical resonators are the building blocks of quantum optomechanics experiments, enabling the use of light to probe and manipulate mechanical motion at the quantum limit. This project will explore a new landscape in quantum optomechanics opened by the recent discovery of ultra-high-Q torsion nanoresonators, addressing both fundamental and applied research opportunities. A key goal is to start a dialogue between Quantum Imaging and Quantum Optomechanics fields which share common interests but have developed in parallel as subfields of Quantum Photonics and Quantum Optics. Another goal is to extend nanomechanical sensing to gravimetry, giving access to broad applications from inertial navigation to subterranean imaging. In addition to research, the principal investigator will develop a laboratory course for the Quantum Information Science and Engineering master’s program at University of Arizona. Spanning techniques from single-photon detection to dilution refrigeration, the course will answer a growing demand for hands-on experience in the quantum workforce.
 
The research program has three thrusts, each based on reflecting a laser field from a strained silicon nitride nanoribbon possessing high Q torsion modes. First, a new field of imaging-based quantum optomechanics will be explored, with traditional interferometric measurement replaced by laser deflectometry (the optical lever method). A key goal is to observe radiation pressure shot noise in torque and study its influence on the quantum state of the reflected light field. Second, a compact pendulum gravimeter will be developed based on frequency tracking of a mass-loaded nanoribbon. The goal is a self-calibrated gravimeter with nano-g sensitivity in a chip-scale, arrayable format. Third, using advanced engineering techniques, nanoribbons with torsional quality factors exceeding 1 billion will be developed. Combined with quantum-limited deflectometry, an attempt will be made to ground state cool a nanomechanical oscillator from room temperature, of interest for both quantum technology and as a teaching tool.

Years Active: 2023-2027

Abstract: The goal of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project is to create an optical “nose” as sensitive as a bloodhound’s and as selective as an insect’s. Animals' noses can distinguish among many thousands of different chemicals. Smell plays a critical role in chemical communication, sensing danger, and navigation. Thus, a biomimetic sensor based on an olfactory system would have tremendous benefits. This project will combine optical sensing technology that can detect changes in how light interacts with molecules with engineered olfactory receptors. Pattern recognition will be accomplished using artificial intelligence. It is anticipated that these advances will enable the detection of extremely low concentrations of biological and chemical targets relevant to a diverse range of diseases, environmentally important chemicals, and threats. In parallel, a do-it-yourself (DIY) refractometer kit will be developed to introduce middle and high-school students to optical engineering concepts. Lessons involving optics and food and water quality testing with refractometers will be developed to build a sustained STEM pipeline and to democratize science for a better world.
 
A biomimetic sensor based on an olfactory system could automate, with greater sensitivity, tasks that can currently only be performed by humans and animals. Existing bioinspired electronic (e-) noses have not been widely adopted due to poor stability, slow response speed, and selectivity artifacts. In the proposed work, the biochemical sensing field will be advanced by creating an optical nose with improved sensitivity and selectivity by incorporating computationally designed olfactory receptors, which are superior to existing e-nose polymer coatings, onto whispering gallery mode (WGM) microtoroid optical resonators. WGM resonators have previously been widely used for biological and chemical sensing because of their high sensitivity compared to electronic sensors, but WGM resonators have never been used in concert with natural olfactory receptors for VOC detection due to the challenge of designing, producing, binding, and maintaining the functionality of these receptors. Here the field of WGM biochemical sensing will be advanced through a convergence of computational molecular design, synthetic biology, specialized surface chemistry approaches and photonic advances for multiplexing.

Years Active: 2022-2026

Abstract: Next generation space telescopes and instruments, such as those needed to directly image Earth-like planets orbiting Sun-like stars, increasingly rely on extreme dimensional stability. The stability of a space structure is directly tied to its constituent materials’ coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), elastic modulus, and creep rate. This research focuses on designing, building, and testing high-modulus composite materials whose CTE can be precisely and permanently adjusted after fabrication. Ultrafast lasers are used to bond composite layers together, and to tune the CTE by adjusting the layers’ stiffnesses. Ultra-stable composites may provide the extreme stability needed for future large space missions and reduce complexity of other systems such as thermal control.

Years Active: 2022-2026

Abstract: Esophageal cancer (EC) is the sixth leading cause of death in the world. Unfortunately, most patients with EC are diagnosed at a late stage, when the cancer has spread to other organs, and as a result the long-term survival is poor. Further exacerbating this challenge, there are major disparities for EC in Hispanic patients, leading to later diagnosis, fewer treatment options, and worse outcomes. Developing a cost effective and high-performance technology for detecting EC could enhance early detection for the disease, and more generally, could provide a foundation for personalized medicine and surveillance in a variety of cancers. 

The objective of this research is to catalog the variations in biomarkers for EC and develop improved screening methods customized to provide the highest performance for EC early detection. Samples of esophageal tissue will be measured and will be characterized using different optical and genetic measurement techniques. Variations in biomarkers will then be identified. A custom esophageal endoscope will be designed to acquire the identified biomarkers, built, and validated. The concepts developed in this research could have wide-ranging impact by demonstrating the effectiveness of novel label-free optical imaging methods for early detection of EC. This work will lay the groundwork to expand access to better early detection methods underserved groups worldwide by implementing the framework for data acquisition, sharing and coordination, as well as the technological innovations for the development of targeted screening devices. 

Years Active: 2021-2026

Abstract: Many industrial and consumer devices rely on controlling light at small length scales, for example, the machines used to make computer chips, the cameras in cell phones, and medical imaging devices, just to name a few. Miniaturizing such devices makes them lighter in weight, more energy-efficient, and often higher in performance because of the ability pack more functional components closer together in a smaller package. A current challenge is how to miniaturize three-dimensional (3D) components in devices that have elements smaller than 150 nm, which is about the same size as a virus, and only a bit smaller than the wavelength of visible light. Consumer-grade 3D printers have resolution that is ~1000 times worse than this. This proposal aims to develop new, relatively low-cost techniques to design and assemble 3D structures for photonic devices with elements as small as ~50 nm. In addition to device performance improvement tied to miniaturization, the creation of structures with such small elements can lead to materials with exotic optical properties that are not found naturally. These exotic optical properties can enable devices such as lenses with resolution beyond those of glass lenses, or devices like optical cloaks that bend light around an object. The research will be incorporated into courses at the University of Arizona, and the course modules will be shared with other educators via websites, professional meetings, publications, and outreach events. High schoolers and undergraduate students will also partake in the research.
 
Ultimate control over light requires control of the relative permittivities and permeabilities of materials over all three dimensions of space with deep sub-wavelength resolution. In a steady-state system, the behavior of light depends entirely on the 3D distribution of these properties. For example, studies of photonic metamaterials have shown that the patterning of heterogeneous materials at such deep sub-wavelength scales can enable negative refractive index, permittivity near zero, and ultra-high refractive index. Generally, the higher the resolution of the fabrication approach, the more compact the optical system and the higher its resulting optical resolution. However, a significant barrier to realizing this ultimate control over light is that there are currently no means to achieve deep subwavelength heterogeneous patterning in 3D structures for visible and near-infrared wavelengths. The goal of the proposed project is to design, fabricate, and test 3D nanophotonic components assembled out of precisely-positioned metallic and high-index dielectric colloidal building blocks of various shapes with ~50 nm, high-resolution feature sizes. Design approaches will use the coupled multipole method. High speed optical tweezers and biochemical linkages will be used to fabricate structures and devices out of >1000 building blocks. Devices that have previously only been theoretically proposed will be experimentally tested, including superresolution imaging devices and devices based on transformation optics.

Years Active: 2007-2012

Abstract: The objective of this program is to promote education in ultrafast optical science at the University of Arizona while developing a novel approach for efficient generation of ultra-short extreme-ultraviolet light sources. The approach is to utilize high finesse, passive optical cavities to coherently add together pulses from a femtosecond frequency comb and store a single, greatly amplified pulse inside the cavity. This approach will provide the high laser intensities required for high-harmonic generation, without the need for large amplifiers, while maintaining the original high repetition frequency and coherence properties of the original laser.
 
Intellectual Merit. The ability to efficiently generate femtosecond frequency combs in the extreme-ultraviolet spectral region will have a large impact in many fields. Many atomic and molecular transitions of great interest to our fundamental understanding of nature lay in this portion of the spectrum and are difficult or impossible to measure with current laser sources. Furthermore, improved next generation atomic clocks can be realized from these narrow, high energy resonances. An efficient extreme-ultraviolet source will potentially open up even more applications across diverse fields such as surface physics, biological imaging, and photo-lithography to name a few.
 
Broader Impact. This program will foster the growth of ultrafast science within the University of Arizona through the critical involvement of undergraduate and graduate students in research. By the end of the program it is expected that a new course in ultrafast optical phenomena will be developed. Furthermore, educational and research opportunities will both be strengthened through collaborations with undergraduate institutions.

Years Active: 2007-2013

Abstract: Many applications, from planetary sciences to medicine, require practitioners to correlate and understand complex datasets through a range of dimensions, scales, resolutions, and temporal dynamics. Such complex nature is referred to as data heterogeneity. Clearly, how we organize, visualize, and correlate these heterogeneous datasets will influence the effectiveness of information interpretation and decision-making, and ultimately reflect on the success of a task.
Many technical challenges persist in effectively dealing with complex visualization tasks involving large-scale heterogeneous data. To address some of the challenges, the PI aims to develop a heterogeneous display environment integrated with versatile data visualization and user interaction capabilities. The design of the visualization system is guided by a theory where the various aspects of complex controls on 3D visualization and user interaction are viewed as a multidimensional continuum space. The proposed system can potentially facilitate the process of visualizing and correlating large-scale heterogeneous data. Particularly, the PI will evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed technology using scenarios directly related to scientific activities underway by researchers in NASA's Mars Exploration Program. The system will also offer a platform to refine the continuum theory and investigate methods that could improve the effectiveness of complex data visualization and user interaction.
 
The PI further outlines a comprehensive plan for developing interdisciplinary education opportunities tightly integrated with the proposed research agenda for a wide range of learner groups. Examples include training opportunities embedded in research activities for diversified learner groups, curriculum development to address the educational needs for students in interdisciplinary areas of research; and the development of short courses and hands-on projects for summer schools and community outreach events. The PI will also explore the value of 3D visualization techniques in science and engineering education.
 
The success of these plans will set up a solid foundation for the PI to achieve her life-long goals of establishing first-class interdisciplinary research and educational programs.

Years Active: 2003-2008

Abstract: An entirely new technology of coherent atom optics is emerging in the physical sciences, and is based upon a reversal of the traditional roles of matter and light: electric and magnetic fields are now used to manipulate and guide ultra-cold atoms. Atom optics shows much promise for technological developments of strategic significance to the scientific, economic, and military future of the nation. Potential applications in areas as diverse as precision measurements, mineral exploration, and inertial guidance systems can easily be foreseen. Of relevance to this proposal are those applications in which massive particles offer immediate advantages as compared to photons. These include in particular rotation sensors, gravity gradiometers, and accelerometers.
 
With Bose-Einstein condensates as atomic sources, high-flux single-mode atom-optical waveguiding has become possible, and the assembly of user-defined configurations of atom-optical elements has led to initial studies in the new field of integrated atom optics. Most current efforts in integrated atom optics are centered about using magnetic fields to define atomic waveguides at a material surface. The research proposed here will pursue a complementary and promising research track: the experimental development of free-space integrated atom optics with Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs).
 
This YIP (Young Investigator Program) proposal has been nominated for a PECASE (Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers) award, and thus consists of separately described groups of experiments for each potential funding program. With a YIP award, the proposed research will cover a three-year time span beginning June, 2003. The first year of research will be devoted to experimental development of optical structures for 87Rb BEC waveguiding applications, including studies of atom beam splitters and other integrated atom-optical elements. The second year of research will focus on continued experimental development and characterization of integrated atom-optical elements, and a new project on atom-optical elements for stationary condensates will begin. Research in the third year will be devoted to the pursuit and characterization of Bose-Einstein condensation of 39K, a new and potentially unique source in atom optics.
 
With a PECASE award, the proposed research will instead encompass a five-year time span beginning June, 2003. Following the development of each basic topic from the YIP phases of the research applications will be explored. One additional year will thus be devoted to creation of an Atomic-Phase Interference Device, with potential applications in rotation sensing, and to an investigation of the impacts of waveguide defects. Also, one additional year will be used to develop a new method for quantum-state engineering of BECs, and to begin an investigation of potential applications for 39K condensates.
 
Each element of this entire research project will play an instrumental role in the development of laser-based waveguide structures for future atom-optical technologies, and will open avenues for new developments in integrated atom optics. The proposed research sequence will thus be a key ingredient in an area of interest targeted by the Army Research Office: development of atom optics and associated technologies.