Michael Escuti
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
2002 - PhD in Electrical Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI
1999 - MS in Electrical Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI
1997 - BS in Electrical & Computer Eng., Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
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
- Minimizing the Polarization Leakage of Geometric-phase Coronagraphs with Multiple Grating Pattern Combinations (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)
- Multi-color holography with a two-stage patterned liquid-crystal element (2019)
- Numerical analysis of Bragg polarization gratings (2019)
- Paraxial Analysis of Binary Polarization Gratings (bin-PGs) (2019)
- Polarization grating exposure method with easily tunable period via dual rotating polarization grating masks (2019)
- Producing true-color rainbows with patterned multi-layer liquid-crystal polarization gratings (2019)
- Simultaneous phase and amplitude aberration sensing with a liquid-crystal vector-Zernike phase mask (2019)