Research

The research group has access to theAdvanced Optical Fabrication Infrastructure, which allows precision manufacturing of diverse optical components, as well as to an assembly and testing laboratory, used in the fabrication process of complex systems. The team also contributes to the development of novel metrology techniques and equipment, specific to devices that may prove particularly challenging to characterize. These latter include systems such as image slicers, wide-angle lenses, blazed gratings and LEDs.

This research axis focuses on the improvement of optical design processes for imaging and illumination systems, including wide-angle systems. Some of the explored general-purpose methods exploit artificial intelligence, biomimicry, controlled distortion or the use of plenoptic sensors. Our work is also guided by the particular challenges of various research and application areas such as vision, radiometry, stereoscopy, microscopy or imaging, many of which have high industrial potential.

An important research axis of our program is the exploration of various models to study the properties of light under exotic conditions. Projects of this axis include theoretical modelling of non-paraxial focusing, the effect of metasurfaces on the wavefront, and the interaction of ultrashort laser pulses with microscopic biological samples among others. This diversified axis studies light through theoretical models, numerical simulations and laboratory experiments.

Ligth properties, like its intensity, its wavelength or its polarization, allow to interrogate and interact with materials to better understand them. In this axis, we develop innovative technologies for plenty of multidisciplinary applications and fields including solar energy, remote sensing, lighting and environmental sciences.

From design to first light, we participate in several astronomical instruments projects within/throughout multidisciplinary teams involving international collaborations. With our expertise in optical design, conception of spectrographs, wavefront sensors and adaptive optics, our team contributed to several instruments including GIRMOS (Gemini), HiCIBaS, Sitelle (CFHT), Imaka (UH2.2), NIRPS (ESO), SPIRou (CFHT) and VROOMM (OMM).