Michael Escuti
Biography
Dr. Escuti is a leading photonics and electro-optic materials expert pioneering the development of polarization-independent devices and transformational diffractive optics. He currently directs applied and fundamental research for applications including ultra-efficient/portable liquid crystal displays, opto-fluidics, ultra-efficient beam steering for high energy applications and laser communications, IR/MIR polarimetry imaging, and novel diffractive lenses.
His work is principally supported by the National Science Foundation (including a CAREER Award) and US Air Force Research Laboratory, along with several strong partnerships with industry (including Raytheon, Boulder Nonlinear Systems, MZA Associates, and ImagineOptix).
As of mid-2011, he advises 3 PhD students, 1 undergraduate researcher, 2 post-docs, and has authored 28 journal articles, 50 refereed conference proceedings, 15 invited research presentations, 2 book contributions, and 3(+9) patents issued(+pending). He has also served as an expert witness in patent litigation before the International Trade Commission (ITC).
Education
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Ph.D.
2002
Electrical Engineering
Brown University, Providence -
Master's
1999
Electrical Engineering
Brown University, Providence -
Bachelor's
1997
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Drexel University, Philadelphia
Research Focus
Highlighted Awards
Awards & Honors
- 2019 - Senior Member of National Academy of Inventors
- 2011 - Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)
- 2011 - ALCOA Foundation Distinguished Engineering Research Award (NC State)
- 2010 - National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award
- 2004 - International Liquid Crystal Society (ILCS) Glenn H Brown Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation
- 2002 - Optical Society of America (OSA) New Focus Student Award, Top Winner
- 2001 - Materials Research Society (MRS) Graduate Student Silver Award
- 2001 - Sigma Xi Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award, Brown University
- 2000 - Rhode Island House of Representatives Citation of Excellence in Science Education
- 1997 - Drexel University Citation of Excellence in Engineering Design
Recent Publications
- First light of a holographic aperture mask: Observation at the Keck OSIRIS Imager (2021)
- Improved saturation and wide-viewing angle color filters based on multi-twist retarders (2021)
- Mantis shrimp-inspired organic photodetector for simultaneous hyperspectral and polarimetric imaging (2021)
- Organic-based photodetectors for multiband spectral imaging (2021)
- Super achromatic wide-angle quarter-wave plates using multi-twist retarders (2021)
- Minimizing the Polarization Leakage of Geometric-phase Coronagraphs with Multiple Grating Pattern Combinations (2020)
- Solc-style color filters based on multi-twist retarders (2020)
- The Single-mode Complex Amplitude Refinement (SCAR) coronagraph: II. Lab verification, and toward the characterization of Proxima b (2020)
- Fabrication of Liquid Crystal Binary Polarization Gratings (bin-PGs) (2019)
- Highly chromatic retardation via multi-twist liquid crystal films (2019)