Richard Zeltner
R&D Group Leader at Menlo Systems GmbH,
Optica Ambassador
Self-management with purpose and clarity
Richard Zeltner holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Integrated Life Sciences from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. During his studies, he developed an interest in optical methods for life sciences, which led him to the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) in 2013. There, he first worked on refractometric sensing using whispering-gallery-mode resonators. He completed his PhD in the division of Prof. Philip St. J. Russell, focusing on optical sensors based on optically propelled particles inside hollow-core fibers.
In 2019, he started working at Menlo Systems GmbH in Munich as a project leader and executive assistant. He currently holds the position of R&D Group Leader. Menlo Systems is a leading developer and global supplier of instrumentation for high-precision metrology, known for its Nobel Prize-winning optical frequency comb technology.
In addition to his industry role, Dr. Richard Zeltner has been actively involved in the optics community. He was president of the OPTICA student chapter at MPL, is an Optica Ambassador, and has been a member of the Young Minds Action Committee of the European Physical Society since 2018, serving as its chair since 2020. In 2021, he co-initiated the “From PhD to CEO” webinar series to highlight entrepreneurship in photonics.
Robert Harrison
Technology Licensing and Intellectual Property Attorney/Consultant Of Counsel at Sonnenberg Harrison
With a career at the intersection of science, innovation and law, Dr. Robert Harrison has been advising companies on intellectual property rights and strategy for over 30 years. His professional focus lies in semiconductors, chemical engineering, computer science, photonics, telecommunications, microtechnology and biophysics. Trained as a physicist and engineer, he holds a B.A. in Physics from Oxford, a Master’s in Solid State Physics, and a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering.
He is a registered German, French, and European patent and trademark attorney and one of the founding partners of Sonnenberg Harrison, a law firm specialized in intellectual property and technology law.
Dr. Harrison is also a member of several international professional associations, including the German Association of Engineers (VDI), the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Institute of Physics. He sits on the Board of the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC) and the German-Australian Business Council. Through his active involvement and fluency in six languages, he brings a broad international perspective to the complex field of IP management in science and technology.
Piotr Wcisło
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland
Piotr Wcisło is a physicist specializing in high-precision spectroscopy and quantum optics. He earned his PhD from the Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) in Toruń in 2015, with a dissertation on molecular collisions and optical resonance line shapes. He has been working at the university’s Institute of Physics ever since, where he now leads a research group focused on high-precision spectroscopy, fundamental tests of physics and experimental approaches to probing dark matter. The group applies advanced optical methods and collaborates internationally on precision measurements, particularly in molecular hydrogen systems and atomic clocks.
Prof. Wcisło has received numerous awards for his scientific achievements, including the Prof. Stanisław Pieńkowski Award Achievements in Experimental Physics, the Polish Physical Society Award for his master’s thesis, and the Prime Minister’s Award for his doctoral dissertation.
Piotr will talk about his research and share grant acquisition strategies.
Alessandra Carmichael-Martins
European Southern Observatory, Germany
An expert in optical imaging and vision science experienced with international collaborations and mobility as a researcher.
Grzegorz Soboń
Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland
Where AI meets photonics – optimization of ultrashort laser pulses with machine learning
Abstract
Scientists agree that ultrashort laser pulses are the shortest phenomena ever observed in nature. The current state-of-the-art laser systems can generate pulses as short as a few tens of femtoseconds routinely (a femtosecond is one-millionth of a billionth of a second, i.e., 1 fs = 10-15 s). Such short pulses fascinate scientists from almost all areas of technical and life sciences. They allow us to observe phenomena so fast that we cannot follow them using any other method. Unfortunately, lasers capable of emitting pulses that short are usually quite complicated and expensive setups, absolutely not designed to be used outside the scientific laboratory. Scientists using such lasers very often spend long hours (and sometimes even months!) on them to squeeze out another femtosecond.
The presentation will introduce you to the fundamentals of ultrashort laser pulse generation, focusing on the most simple, straightforward, and robust approach – based on optical fibers. We will discuss the potential application of AI to optimize femtosecond lasers, and our journey toward a “smart laser”.
About the speaker
Grzegorz Soboń received his doctoral degree in 2013 and his habilitation in 2018. Since 2019, he has been an associate professor at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, where he serves as Principal Investigator of the Optical Frequency Comb Spectroscopy Group.
His research interests focus on ultrafast fiber lasers, optical frequency combs, nonlinear fiber optics, and laser spectroscopy. Dr. Soboń’s scientific work has been recognized with numerous honors and awards. He is a two-time START scholarship recipient from the Foundation for Polish Science (2013 with distinction, and 2014), and a laureate of the ABB Prize, the Prime Minister’s Award for his PhD thesis, and the Minister of Science and Higher Education Award for outstanding achievements in fundamental research.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Soboń is also involved in technology development and commercialization. He is a co-founder and board member of Mode-Locked Technology Sp. z o.o., a company established in 2021 that specializes in designing advanced laser systems for use in science and industry.
Mateusz Szatkowski
Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland
An expert in spatial light modulation. Mateusz will discuss the challenges faced by a young scientist pursuing scientific career in Poland.