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Prof. Dr. Jack HARRIS
Jack Harris is a Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Yale University and a member of the Yale Quantum Institute. He earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and completed his Ph.D. at University of California, Santa Barbara, where he developed ultrasensitive micromechanical sensors to investigate quantum Hall systems under the supervision of David Awschalom.Following his doctoral work, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard/MIT Center for Ultracold Atoms, collaborating with John Doyle and Wolfgang Ketterle on cryogenic atom-trapping experiments.Since joining the Yale faculty in 2004, Professor Harris has made significant contributions to the field of quantum optomechanics. His group pioneered innovative techniques such as the “membrane-in-the-middle” device and has developed methods for integrating high-finesse optical cavities with superfluid helium.His research focuses on the quantum behavior of macroscopic systems that combine mechanical, optical, and superfluid elements. By employing ultrasensitive force detectors, his team explores quantum fluctuations in objects visible to the naked eye and investigates novel topological phenomena in the dynamics of coupled oscillators.
We are excited to host Prof. Jack Harris from Yale University at the 2nd METU Optics and Photonics Society Summer School, taking place from June 29 to July 3, 2026.
His research focuses on experimental atomic, molecular, and optical physics, with work in optomechanics, radiation pressure, and precision measurements at the quantum scale.
Prof. Dr. Mable FOK
Prof. Mable Fok is an Associate Professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia, where she directs the Lightwave and Microwave Photonics Laboratory. Her research focuses on microwave photonics, photonic-neuromorphic signal processing, and fiber-optic sensors for biomedical, robotics, and civil engineering applications. She previously worked as an associate research scholar at the Lightwave Communications Laboratory at Princeton University. Dr. Fok has published over 170 journal and conference papers and contributed to the book Optical Switches: Materials and Design (2010). She has received multiple awards, including the NSF CAREER Award, for her contributions to research and mentorship.
We are proud to announce that Prof. Mable Fok from the University of Georgia will be joining us at the 2nd METU Optics and Photonics Society Summer School.
In her talk, “From Biological Inspiration to Intelligent Systems: Photonics, Sensing, and Soft Robotics”, she will highlight how nature-inspired approaches are shaping advances in photonics, sensing, and soft robotics.
Prof. Dr. Sahin K. Ozdemir
Şahin Kaya Özdemir received his BSc and MSc degrees in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Middle East Technical University and earned his PhD from Shizuoka University. His academic and research career has focused on photonics, quantum optics, optical microcavities, and non-Hermitian physics, with particular emphasis on whispering-gallery-mode resonators, exceptional point physics, PT-symmetric systems, and quantum photonic technologies.Following his doctoral studies, he held research positions at several institutions in Japan before continuing his academic career in the United States. He served as a research scientist and faculty member at Washington University in St. Louis and later at Pennsylvania State University, where he carried out pioneering work on optical microresonators, non-Hermitian photonics, and exceptional-point-enhanced sensing.Dr. Özdemir is internationally recognized for his contributions to the emerging field of non-Hermitian and PT-symmetric photonics. His research demonstrated how exceptional points in optical systems can significantly enhance sensor sensitivity, opening new directions for precision measurement technologies. In addition to optical sensing, his work has contributed to the understanding of light–matter interactions, optical chaos, photonic molecules, quantum information processing, and laser physics.He has authored and co-authored numerous highly cited publications in leading scientific journals, including Nature, Nature Physics, and Nature Photonics. Through his interdisciplinary research bridging fundamental physics and applied photonic engineering, he continues to contribute to the advancement of next-generation optical and quantum technologies.
We are proud to announce that Prof. Şahin K. Özdemir, Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Saint Louis University, will be joining us at the METU Optics and Photonics Society Summer School, taking place between June 29 – July 3, 2026.
His research focuses on optical engineering, quantum optics and quantum information science, quantum plasmonics, micro/nano-photonics, and non-Hermitian photonics, including PT-symmetry and exceptional points in optics and optomechanics.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Bülend ORTAC
Dr. Bülend Ortaç is a researcher at UNAM specializing in fiber lasers, nonlinear optics, and high-power photonic systems. He received his PhD from the University of Rouen, France, and carried out postdoctoral research in applied physics in Germany before joining UNAM, where he established and leads his own research group. His research focuses on advanced fiber laser technologies, saturable absorbers, and high-power fiber amplification systems. He has contributed to the development of ultrafast and high-efficiency laser sources with applications in telecommunications, industrial processing, and defense technologies. In addition, he has played a key role in the development of Türkiye’s first domestically produced active optical fiber, a significant milestone in national photonics capabilities. His scientific interests include fiber optics, nonlinear optics, ultrafast laser dynamics, and high-power laser systems. Through his work at UNAM, he continues to bridge fundamental photonics research with practical engineering applications in advanced optical technologies.
We are proud to announce that Prof. Bülend Ortaç from UNAM, Bilkent University will be joining us at the METU Optics and Photonics Society Summer School.
His research focuses on fiber lasers, saturable absorbers, and the development of high-power fiber amplification systems.
Prof. Dr. Steven JOHNSON
Steven Johnson is a physicist specializing in ultrafast dynamics and laser-based studies of materials. Since 2020, he has been a full professor at ETH Zurich, working within the Institute for Quantum Electronics. He also holds a joint appointment at the Paul Scherrer Institute, where he leads the experimental laser group at the SwissFEL X-ray free-electron laser facility.He completed his undergraduate studies in mathematics and physics at Harvey Mudd College and earned his PhD in physics from University of California, Berkeley in 2002. He then worked as a staff scientist at the Paul Scherrer Institute before joining ETH Zurich as a tenure-track assistant professor in 2011, later becoming associate professor prior to his current role.His research focuses on how materials behave at the atomic scale when driven far from equilibrium by intense, ultrafast excitations. In particular, he investigates how such perturbations can be used to control and modify material properties by altering their microscopic symmetries.
We are honored to host Prof. Steven Johnson from ETH Zürich at the METU Optics and Photonics Society Summer School.
In his talk, “Ultrafast X-ray Photonics: Making Atomic Movies with Accelerator-Generated X-rays”, he will provide an overview of how ultrashort x-ray pulses—down to sub-femtosecond durations—are used to study atomic-scale dynamics in matter. The talk will cover the generation of these pulses using free-electron lasers, their integration with ultrafast laser systems, and how they enable cutting-edge experiments in condensed matter and beyond. He will also share insights into the key observables in such measurements and offer guidance for those interested in pursuing research in this exciting field.
Prof. Dr. Nicolas JOLY
Nicolas Joly is a leading researcher in photonics and optical fiber science. Since 2021, he has been heading an independent research group on microstructured optical fibres at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen, Germany, while also serving as an associate professor at University of Erlangen–Nuremberg since 2009.
He completed his PhD with highest honors at University of Lille in 2002, focusing on instabilities in pulsed lasers, and later earned his habilitation in 2012 at the École Normale Supérieure de Cachan on supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fibres. He also held a postdoctoral position at University of Bath.
Prof. Joly is widely recognized for his contributions to nonlinear optics and fiber photonics. He has supervised numerous PhD and master’s students, contributed as an editor and reviewer, and served on technical and scientific committees for major international conferences and organizations such as Optical Society of America. He is also actively involved in international research initiatives, including coordination roles within the International Max Planck Research School for the Physics of Light.
We are proud to announce that Prof. Nicolas Joly from the Max Planck Institute will be joining us at the METU Optics and Photonics Society Summer School.
In his talk, “Microstructured Optical Fibers: Enter the Playground”, he will talk about the photonic crystal fibers and their wide-ranging applications — from chemical sensing to quantum optics. The presentation will also highlight cutting-edge approaches in terahertz (THz) spectroscopy and recent advances in trapping and manipulating micron-scale particles inside hollow-core fibers.
Prof. Dr. Nicola PINNA
Nicola Pinna studied physical chemistry at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris). He received his Ph.D. in 2001, and in 2002, he moved to the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (Berlin). In 2003, he joined the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (Potsdam). In 2005, he moved to the Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, as an Assistant Professor of Inorganic Chemistry. From March 2006 to June 2012 he was researcher at the Department of Chemistry and CICECO of the University of Aveiro and from September 2009 to June 2012 he was also Assistant Professor at the school of chemical and biological engineering Seoul National University in the framework of the world class university project founded by the National Research Foundation of Korea. In July 2012 he joined the Department of Chemistry of the Humboldt University in Berlin. In 2011 he was ranked among the top 100 materials scientists of the past decade by impact. His research activity is focused on the development of novel routes to nanostructured materials, their characterization, and the study of their physical properties
Join us for an engaging talk by Prof. Nicola Pinna on; “Non-Hydrolytic Sol-Gel Chemistry to Materials for Applications in Photonics and Energy”, he will explore how advanced chemical approaches enable the design and synthesis of nanostructured materials with precise control over their structural and physicochemical properties. The presentation will highlight one-pot strategies for creating complex and hybrid nanomaterials, emphasizing the role of interfaces in determining performance. Applications in photonics, energy storage, and conversion will be discussed, along with current challenges and future directions in the field.
Prof. Pinna’s work spans cutting-edge material science, focusing on innovative solutions for photonics, energy, and environmental applications.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Uğur TEGIN
Uğur Teğin is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Koç University. He received his BS (2015) and MS degrees (2018) from Bilkent University, Turkey. He completed his PhD in Photonics (2021) at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, and invented next-generation fiber lasers and nonlinear photonic neural network platforms. He then pursued his postdoctoral studies in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Department of Medical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, USA. He studied the world’s fastest camera and investigated rarely occurring extreme spatiotemporal events in lasers. His research interests include optical computing, photonic neural networks, fiber optics, nonlinear optics, ultrafast lasers and imaging. He has authored or co-authored 18 journal publications and 3 patents in these areas.
Join us for a compelling talk by Asst. Prof. Dr. Uğur Teğin on; “Optical Computing with Waveguides and Complex Media”, he will explore how photonic systems can serve as powerful alternatives to traditional digital computing, especially for machine learning applications. The presentation will highlight the use of multimode fibers, integrated waveguides, and complex optical media to perform information processing through nonlinear light dynamics. Topics will include optical neural networks, random projections, recurrent systems, and cutting-edge developments in programmable and scalable optical computing architectures.
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