Priyanka Pardasani
Ritesh Agarwal, Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has been elected a fellow of the Optical Society (OSA).
The scholarly society has, since 1916, been the “world’s leading champion for optics and photonics, uniting and educating scientists, engineers, educators, technicians and business leaders worldwide to foster and promote technical and professional development.”
The Optical Society cited Agarwal for “pioneering contributions to advancing complex light-matter interactions in low-dimensional semiconductors, phase-change and topological materials for applications in integrated photonics.”
“Congratulations to the 2021 Fellows,” says 2020 OSA President Stephen Fantone. “Your election, by your peers, is affirmation of your impressive accomplishments within our field. Thank you for your dedication to OSA and for advancing the science of light.”
Agarwal also recently published a study in the journal Science, detailing his group’s creation of novel “quasiparticles” known as helical topological exciton-polaritons, as well as a new type of topological insulator that supports them. Agarwal’s group is now working on studying how topological polaritons interact with one another, which would bring them a step closer to using them in practical photonic devices.