Michael Hochberg
Encyclopedia
Michael Hochberg is an American physicist
. He is an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington
. Hochberg was born in Ithaca, NY, and attended high school at the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts. He obtained a BS in Physics in 2002 and a PhD in Applied Physics in 2006, both from the California Institute of Technology
. Hochberg was a student of Professor Axel Scherer
.
While an undergraduate, Hochberg founded a software company, Simulant, which sold a distributed implementation of the Finite-Difference Time Domain algorithm. Simulant was later acquired by Luxtera
, a photonics component firm co-founded by Hochberg.
Hochberg's research interests include silicon photonics
, nonlinear optics, and ultra-low drive voltage optical modulators. He was on the team that first demonstrated that slot waveguides
could be combined with electrooptic polymers to obtain exceptionally low drive voltage modulators. Recently, he has demonstrated that this technique can be used to create modulators with drive voltages of 0.25 V, over an order-of-magnitude lower value than what is typically achieved with Lithium niobate
based optical modulators. More recently, Dr. Hochberg has been involved in a demonstration that the force of an optical mode in a waveguide could be used to directly actuate a nanomechanical system. Hochberg was awarded the Air Force Office of Sponsored Research Young Investigator award in 2007, and was awarded a PECASE
award in 2009. Hochberg's work has been featured in Nature Materials, Nature, and other journals.
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
. He is an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. Hochberg was born in Ithaca, NY, and attended high school at the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts. He obtained a BS in Physics in 2002 and a PhD in Applied Physics in 2006, both from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
. Hochberg was a student of Professor Axel Scherer
Axel Scherer
Axel Scherer is the Bernard Neches Professor of Electrical Engineering, Physics, and Applied Physics at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Scherer's office is located in the Sloan Annex, and his lab manager is Kate Finigan. He is known for fabricating the world's first semiconducting...
.
While an undergraduate, Hochberg founded a software company, Simulant, which sold a distributed implementation of the Finite-Difference Time Domain algorithm. Simulant was later acquired by Luxtera
Luxtera
Luxtera Inc., founded in 2001, is based in Carlsbad, California. Luxtera is a fabless semiconductor company that is using silicon photonics technology to build complex electro-optical systems in a production silicon CMOS process...
, a photonics component firm co-founded by Hochberg.
Hochberg's research interests include silicon photonics
Silicon photonics
Silicon photonics is the study and application of photonic systems which use silicon as an optical medium. The silicon is usually patterned with sub-micrometre precision, into microphotonic components. These operate in the infrared, most commonly at the 1.55 micrometre wavelength used by most...
, nonlinear optics, and ultra-low drive voltage optical modulators. He was on the team that first demonstrated that slot waveguides
Slot-waveguide
A slot-waveguide is an optical waveguide that guides strongly confined light in a subwavelength-scale low refractive index region by total internal reflection....
could be combined with electrooptic polymers to obtain exceptionally low drive voltage modulators. Recently, he has demonstrated that this technique can be used to create modulators with drive voltages of 0.25 V, over an order-of-magnitude lower value than what is typically achieved with Lithium niobate
Lithium niobate
Lithium niobate is a compound of niobium, lithium, and oxygen. Its single crystals are an important material for optical waveguides, mobile phones, optical modulators and various other linear and non-linear optical applications.-Properties:...
based optical modulators. More recently, Dr. Hochberg has been involved in a demonstration that the force of an optical mode in a waveguide could be used to directly actuate a nanomechanical system. Hochberg was awarded the Air Force Office of Sponsored Research Young Investigator award in 2007, and was awarded a PECASE
PECASE
The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on outstanding scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. The White House, following recommendations from participating agencies,...
award in 2009. Hochberg's work has been featured in Nature Materials, Nature, and other journals.
Selected works
- Nonlinear optics:
-
- Slot waveguide based optical modulators
-
- Optical actuation of nanomechanical systems
External links
- Hochberg's group site at the University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. - Press coverage of new lab in the Puget Sound Business JournalPuget Sound Business JournalThe Puget Sound Business Journal is a weekly American City Business Journals publication containing articles about business people, issues, and events in the greater Seattle, Washington area. The publication also publishes a technology news website named TechFlash...
. - Press coverage of optical actuation result in the Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Post-IntelligencerThe Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
.