Meet the Group
Our Students
Siam Sarower
Siam explores how spatially and temporally varying light can control the electronic and topological properties of two-dimensional Dirac materials like graphene. By studying these light-matter interactions, his work opens up new possibilities for tuning quantum behavior and designing advanced functionalities in these systems.
Sulaiman Shaikh
Sulaiman examines how strain and light shape the electronic properties and transport behavior of two-dimensional materials. By studying the interplay between strain-induced and light-induced effects, his work uncovers new ways to control quantum phenomena in these complex systems.
Eddie Harmon
Eddie investigates how periodic driving with light can be used to control topological phases in thin-film materials that usually require changes in thickness. His work explores new, more practical ways to tune the electronic properties of these systems by using light as an external control.
Our Alumni
Lauren Massaro
Lauren was the first student to join our group. She focused on understanding how vortex
light beams interact with Dirac-like materials, demonstrating the photoinduction of
electronic vortex states. Her work opened new directions for our group in light-matter
interactions. After KSU, Lauren became a Physics graduate student at Emory University.
Connor Meese
At KSU, Connor investigated the electronic and optical properties of MoS₂, focusing on how vortex light beams interact with electrons in this material. His research demonstrated the generation of valley-polarized vortex states in MoS₂. After graduating from KSU, Connor continued his studies as a Physics graduate student at the University of Utah.
Trevor Walsh
Trevor worked jointly in our group and with Professor Nicolas Douguet’s group. At KSU, he explored atomic systems, focusing on how vortex light beams generate complex high-order harmonics in helium gas. His research revealed new ways that structured light can control ultrafast light pulses, paving the way for advances in ultrafast optics. After graduating from KSU, Trevor became a graduate student in Physics at Ohio University.
Hunter Ketels
Hunter explored how bicircular light—created from two overlapping circularly polarized beams—can control the quantum phases and symmetries of three-dimensional topological insulators, demonstrating that tuning the light’s parameters enables precise manipulation of their properties. Hunter is now preparing to begin his master’s studies in data science.
Kieran MacDonald
Keiran is a master’s student in electrical engineering at KSU. He joined our group to study the interplay between topological edge states and vortex states generated in massive Dirac materials driven by vortex light beams. His work also focused on developing a numerical method to self-consistently capture these states and to investigate their robustness against disorder. Keiran is currently continuing his master’s degree in electrical engineering at Kennesaw State University.
