The Precision Instrumentation Group is relocating to the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona. This website is no longer updated as of October 18, 2017. The new website for the Precision Instrumentation Group is located here. For questions, contact Professor Ellis at jdellis [at] optics [dot] arizona [dot] edu.
Welcome aboard, Martin and Yanqi
First year Optics PhD student Martin Tangari and Optics MS student Yanqi Zhang have recently joined the Precision Instrumentation Group. Both students will be working on research related to freeform optics metrology on projects sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Center for Freeform Optics. Welcome to the group and much success for your research!
Congratulations to graduating students!
Several students in the Precision Instrumentation Group have graduated as part of the class of 2017! PhD students Steven Gillmer and Xiangzhi Yu, both in mechanical engineering, were formally hooded. Fenghe Zhong received his MS in Optics. Undergraduates Elizabeth Fox (MechE), Klemens Gowin (Optics), Bill Green (MechE), and Kami Tinkham (Optics) completed their BS degrees. Bill was also awarded the Newton Prize recognizing his contributions to published research during his undergraduate studies. Elizabeth was name MechE Senior of the Year. Congratulations to all!
Professor Ellis awarded tenure, new patent
Professor Ellis was recently award tenure and is now an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Additionally, Professor Ellis and his former advisor ir. Jo Spronck at TU Delft were recently awarded a patent Dual beam splitter interferometer measuring 3 degrees of freedom, system and method of use. This patent, US9518816B2, was awarded on December 13, 2016 with a priority date of December 1, 2011.
Professor Ellis Awarded 2017 NSF CAREER Award
Professor Ellis has recently been awarded a prestigious NSF CAREER award, supporting research on freeform optics metrology. This award, CAREER: Breaking the Freeform Optics Metrology Barrier with Synthetic Wavelength Interferometry, supports $500k in research over 5 years. More information on this award can be found here.
Kaitlin and Mike successfully defend their PhD Proposals
Two PhD students, Kaitlin Wozniak (Optics) and Michael Echter ( Mechanical Engineering), have successfully defended their PhD proposals, outlining the scopes of their respective research to finalize their degrees. Kaitlin’s proposed work is on Properties and Safety of Femtosecond Photo-modification in Hydrogel and Cornea as part of the IRIS: Intra-tissue Refractive Index Shaping program at the University of Rochester. Mike’s work is on Composite Laminate Characterization and Piezoelectric Actuator Testing for
the Design of a Precision, Adaptive, High-Strain Composite Hinge, working with the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Congratulations to both!
Xiangzhi Yu successfully defends PhD!
Xiangzhi Yu, Mechanical Engineering PhD student, has successfully defended his PhD work entitled Multi-Degree of Freedom Optical Metrology Techniques. Xiangzhi is the second student graduate with his PhD from the group. After graduation, Xiangzhi will head to FARO where he has accepted a position as a Senior Systems Engineer. Congratulations and good luck on the next step in your career!
Undergraduate Bill Green gives talk at ASPE Annual Meeting
Undergraduate student Bill Green from Mechanical Engineering recently presented his work on Gradient Index (GRIN) Metrology at the 31st Annual ASPE Meeting. His work, entitled Development of a Twyman-Green Interferometer Capable of Measuring the Thermal Properties of Optical Materials, was presented on behalf of co-authors James Corsetti, Greg Schmidt, Duncan Moore, and Jonathan Ellis. It is a pretty rare feat for an undergraduate student to be selected to present at a major international conference. Well done Bill!
Professor Ellis gives invited talk at Frontiers in Optics; Julia hands out awards
Professor Ellis recently gave an invited talk at the Frontiers in Optics conference held in Rochester, NY this past October. The subject of his talk, IRIS – A new paradigm in laser refractive correction, was an overview of how femtosecond lasers and multi-photon absorption can induce meaningful refractive change in cornea and hydrogels. This work, with co-authors Gustavo Gandara, Dan Brooks, Kaitlin Wozniak, Sara Gearhart, Len Zheleznyak, Paul Funkenbusch, Wayne Knox, and Krystel Huxlin, is part of a larger research program centered on non-invasive vision correction.
In addition to that talk, Professor Ellis was not the only person in the family participating in OSA’s 100 year celebration. Julia Ellis, his daughter, was selected to hand out awards to the panel of seven Nobel Laureates.
Group of Piglets finishes second in ASPE Student Competition
Ethan Burnham-Fay, Xiangzhi Yu, Fenghe Zhong, and Allie Browar placed second in the 3rd Annual ASPE Student Competition held in Portland, Oregon in late October this fall. The group spent all night working on a laser scanning system using MechBlocks from MOTUS Mechanical.
Also, these four students, along with Chen Wang, Dan Brooks, Kaitlin Wozniak, and Bill Green were all recipients of NSF Grantee Scholarships to attend the ASPE Annual Meeting.