Mercer Times

Zay Farzan, a student at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), was unfamiliar with photonics until she joined Professor David McGee’s physics lab. There, she engaged in hands-on experiments involving lenses, lasers, and advanced microscopes that contribute to the field of photonics: the study of light generation, detection, and manipulation.

This summer, Farzan utilized her lab experience during an internship at Thorlabs in Newton, New Jersey. Thorlabs is a leader in fiber optics and one of TCNJ's partners in a regional initiative funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) aimed at advancing photonics research and technology transfer.

The NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines initiative is co-led by Princeton University and Rowan University. It brings together universities, government agencies, and industry partners across New Jersey, the Lehigh Valley, and Delaware. The collaboration seeks to explore how to capitalize on New Jersey's heritage in optics and photonics research. McGee remarked on this goal: “How do we capitalize on a geographical heritage of optics and photonics research in New Jersey?”

Last year, the NSF awarded $1 million to develop the Advancing Photonics Technologies collaboration. Members have met monthly to build partnerships and prepare for a proposal seeking a $15 million grant for joint projects to establish the region as a photonics hub.

Ryan Leon, a senior physics major involved in McGee’s lab said: “One of my favorite things about science is we can get all these different people together — all these perspectives — to help further our goals.”

The collaboration has provided opportunities for students like Leon and Farzan. They visited Thorlabs earlier this year before touring Princeton’s Micro/Nanofabrication Center in July. There they learned about sensitive nanofabrication machines while wearing protective gear.

Farzan expressed interest in pursuing a career in photonics after graduation: “We already do a lot of the work their machines would allow us to do, but we could do it on a bigger scale, much more precisely.”

Princeton's lab leaders have invited McGee and his students to use their facilities. According to McGee, similar opportunities will continue through NSF Engine initiatives with academic institutions or industry partners like Thorlabs and Nokia Bell Labs.

The visit to Princeton highlighted potential advancements for both students and faculty members like McGee who noted it was an opportunity to elevate TCNJ's "proof of concept" work: “And,” McGee said, “it’s right in our backyard.”