Introducing Dr. Garrett D. Cole as Nelson E. Claytor Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences and Associate Professor
Innovator in Optical Coatings and Quantum Metrology Joins Wyant OSC Faculty in Spring 2026
The Wyant College of Optical Sciences is proud to welcome Dr. Garrett D. Cole as Associate Professor of Optical Sciences and the Nelson E. Claytor Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences. This prestigious appointment recognizes Dr. Cole’s pioneering contributions to optical coating technology, precision interferometry, and quantum optomechanics. These advances have transformed the performance of ultrastable lasers and interferometers for applications ranging from gravitational-wave detection to quantum sensing.
The Nelson E. Claytor Endowed Chair in Optical Sciences was established to recognize Dr. Nelson E. Claytor’s many contributions to optics as an inventor, entrepreneur, advisor, and angel investor. Dr. Claytor, president of Fresnel Technologies Inc., is a leading expert in the design and fabrication of specialty polymer optics and has dedicated his career to advancing optical science and supporting innovation. This endowed chair reflects his commitment to fostering excellence and leadership in the optics and photonics community.
“I am honored to join the University of Arizona as an Associate Professor of Optical Sciences and to serve as the inaugural holder of the prestigious Nelson E. Claytor Endowed Chair. Similar to Dr. Claytor, I have had a diverse career path, with time spent in both academia and industry. I have consistently aimed to translate fundamental discoveries into transformative commercial applications, a vision that resonates with Dr. Claytor’s trailblazing contributions. This esteemed appointment not only marks a pivotal milestone in my career, but also embodies a shared vision of innovation, entrepreneurship, and practical impact. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Claytor and I am eager to leverage his support by driving forward research that enriches both the scientific community and industry alike.” Read Dr. Cole’s full quote.
— Dr. Garrett D. Cole
Dr. Garrett D. Cole earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2005. He began his career at Aerius Photonics and later held research positions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and Universität Wien. In 2012, he co-founded Crystalline Mirror Solutions, a spin-off commercializing semiconductor supermirrors for precision metrology. The company was acquired by Thorlabs in 2019, where Dr. Cole has served as Managing Director of Thorlabs Crystalline Solutions.
His work has earned international recognition, including the LIGHT2015 Young Photonics Entrepreneur Award, the Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis, the SPIE Prism Award, and election as a Fellow of Optica. Named to the Photonics100 in 2024, Dr. Cole continues to advance optical coating technologies, mid-infrared applications, and quantum hardware solutions while mentoring the next generation of optical scientists.
Earlier this year, Dr. Cole delivered a keynote at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences Winter School and Workshop titled “Semiconductor Supermirrors: An Unexpected Spin-Off of Fundamental Research.” His presentation explored how breakthroughs in cavity optomechanics led to transformative advances in optical coating technology, enabling unprecedented performance in ultrastable interferometers and quantum metrology systems.
You can find Dr. Cole in Meinel 525 and email him at gdcole@arizona.edu, starting January 6, 2026.