Through the lens

In this episode, we welcome Bhavin Shastri, Associate Professor at Queen’s University in Canada and a leading researcher in neuromorphic photonic computing. He shares his journey in research and explores how light can be used to develop new approaches to computing. From photonics and artificial intelligence to neuromorphic systems inspired by the way the brain processes information, this conversation looks at how light-based technologies could help shape the future of computing.

To kick off Season 2 of Through the Lens, we meet Stefania Oliveri, researcher at FEMTO-ST, and discover the world of cleanrooms.

In this episode, Stefania explains what working in a cleanroom really means: maintaining and repairing equipment, helping researchers learn how to use it, keeping the environment under control… and everything else that goes on behind the experiments.

She also introduces us to thin films, exploring how these very thin layers of material are used in optics and photonics research.

From the practical side of research to the science behind thin films, this episode offers a closer look at a world that most of us rarely get to see.

In this new episode, we welcome François Courvoisier, professor at the University of Franche-Comté and researcher at FEMTO-ST. He looks back on his journey into research, shares his vision of the field today, and explains how ultrafast lasers are opening up new possibilities in science and industry.

In episode 4, we welcome Jacob Puhalo-Smith, originally from Wales and currently a PhD student working in the field of photonics. He talks about his academic journey and research activities, including 3D photonic waveguide design, neuromorphic computing approaches.

In episode 3, we welcome Mehdi Mabed, a postdoctoral researcher. He shares what led him to his field, reflects on his journey, and opens up through anecdotes about what surprised him in the world of ultrafast optics.

In episode 2, we welcome Magdalena Marciniak, a physicist specializing in photonics. She talks about what led her to physics, her work on monolithic subwavelength gratings, and how her international experiences in Berlin, in Spain and in France. 

For the first episode, Mathilde Hary spoke with Luc Froehly, a CNRS researcher and head of the opto-electronics group at the FEMTO-ST laboratory in Besançon.