Mechanical Engineering Seminar
Strain-Engineered Optomechanics: Ultralow-Loss Resonators and Quantum Transduction
Ryan Schilling, Ph.D
Abstract:
As quantum technologies shift from theoretical constructs to real-world implementations,
the intersection of mechanical resonators and photonics has emerged as a critical
frontier. This talk will examine cavity optomechanical platforms as hardware elements
for future quantum networks. In particular, it will discuss mechanical-mediated microwave-to-optical
transduction, exploring how strain engineering, phononic band-gap structures and other
mechanical design techniques can overcome current challenges in scaling, loss and
coherence. By uniting photonic components with advanced mechanical design, this work
outlines a robust pathway toward next-generation quantum communication architectures
and quantum sensing applications
Bio:
Dr. Ryan Schilling is a research scientist specializing in photonics and the engineering of ultralow-dissipation mechanical oscillators. His work in cavity optomechanics focuses on how strain-engineered resonators and waveguides can serve as the hardware foundating for next-generation quantum systems. He earned his PhD in Optomechanics at EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) in Tobias Kippenberg's group after earlier studies in electrical engineering, and later translated those academic insights into industrial research roles at IBM and Corning, wher ehe advanced semiconductor and optical hardware technologies. Schilling's current research bridges fundamental optical physics with applied mechanical engineering to create scalable quantum devices.