Please join us in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the Technological Institute for a Seminar with Professor Mikhail Kats, PhD, from the University of Wisconsin.

Student Introduction by Yung Ching Lai, Jovanis Nikola Prodanich, and Raj Nileshbhai Dave from 1:45 pm - 1:55 pm.

There will be a brief reception post-seminar.

Abstract: This talk will discuss our recent developments of components based on micro- and nano-optics for interfacing with two types of quantum systems: neutral atoms and color centers in diamond. Topics will include grating structures to simplify the formation of magneto-optical traps (MOTs), optical masks and metasurfaces to facilitate atom trapping in tweezer and bottle-beam arrays, and nanoscale light extractors for efficient outcoupling and beaming of light from nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers and other color centers in diamond. The goal of this research is to create robust, compact, and inexpensive components for experiments and applications in quantum sensing, networking, and computing.

Bio: Mikhail Kats is Jack St. Clair Kilby Professor and Antoine-Bascom Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he has worked for 11 years. Kats has carried out foundational research in the areas of optical metasurfaces, thin-film optics, optical materials, thermal radiation, and optical components for quantum technologies. He is a founding member and associate director of Wisconsin CHIPS. He has published more than 130 peer-reviewed research articles, and has been identified by Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) as a Highly Cited Researcher. In 2025, he became Fellow of Optica and SPIE, and received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).