Exploring Career Pathways in Optics and Photonics: Academia, Industry, and Beyond

The main objective of this career panel discussion is to provide our audience a broad overview of careers in optics industry. Our three panelists, Dr. Sudipta Saha, Dr. Anjan Mukherjee, and Dr. Quynh Nguyen, who have recently established their careers in industry, will share their journey in industry. More specifically, they will discuss their transition from academia to industry, the journey that followed, and the challenges they encountered. They'll discuss the qualifications required to start a career in industry and also the required skill sets. Prospects in different industries will also be discussed.

As this panel discussion aims to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world career trajectories in industry, following the discussion on predefined topics, the session will be open to the audience for Q&A. This will allow the audience to inquire about other aspects as well, thus enriching the discussion.

Subject Matter Level: Introductory - Assumes little previous knowledge of the topic

What You Will Learn:
• Broaden participants’ understanding of career options in optics and photonics.
• Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and mentorship.
• Inspire students to pursue innovative research and leadership roles in the field.

Who Should Attend:
• Students
• Early career members
• Individuals interested in learning about research and leadership roles

About the Presenters: 

Anjan Mukherjee from AMS-Osram

Dr. Anjan Mukherjee is a Chip Development Engineer at AMS-OSRAM with extensive experience in nano- and micro-scale device fabrication, spanning both industry and academic research. With over seven years of cleanroom processing expertise, he has contributed to the development of next-generation solar cells and UV-LED chips based on III-V semiconductor technology. His work focuses on innovative fabrication processes and fundamental optoelectronic studies aimed at optimizing device design and enhancing performance efficiency. Dr. Mukherjee earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Electronic Systems, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway, where he investigated GaAs nanowire/graphene hybrid devices for advanced optoelectronic applications.

 

Quynh Nguyen from NVIDIA

Senior Alliance Manager for HPC and Edge-AI for Physics at NVIDIA. Previously, Quynh was a staff scientist/group leader focusing on ultrafast X-ray quantum materials and high-energy density physics at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Before SLAC, Quynh was a Bloch Fellow in Quantum Science & Engineering at Stanford University and completed a PhD in Atomic, Molecular, Optical Physics at CU Boulder & NIST.

 

 

Sudipta Saha from ASML

Dr. Sudipta Saha earned his Ph.D. in Physics from IISER Kolkata, where his research focused on fluorescence scattering using optical polarimetry and light scattering from plasmonic systems. After completing his doctorate, he undertook postdoctoral research at leading institutions in the United States and Europe, developing advanced polarization-gated microscopic and spectroscopic techniques for characterizing biological tissues, supramolecular chemical self-assemblies, and plasmonic heterostructures. Sudipta later transitioned to industry and currently works as an Optical Engineer at ASML Netherlands, applying his expertise in optics to cutting-edge semiconductor technologies.