Ali Altaqui, Ph.D.

As part of the Reality Labs organization, I work on developing new optical concepts and technologies to enable high performance, lightweight and compact next generation VR/ AR/ MR systems and displays.

Involved in the research and development of polarization-sensitive optical components (lenses, gratings, color filters, etc.) based on liquid crystal polymers to enable high efficiency, low leakage performance with fine control over the wavefront phase, intensity and direction and sensitivity over wide spectral and angular bandwidths.

Research assistant in the Optical Sensing Lab. • Developed a compact image sensor based on polarization-sensitive organic photodetectors and liquid crystal retarders for hyper-spectral and polarization imaging. Optimized for high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), high spectral resolution and high polarimetric accuracy. • Developed a geometric phase hologram (GPH) image sensor for hyper-spectral imaging, using multiple stacked organic photodetectors and geometric phase lenses. • Developed a robust fiber-based channeled spectropolarimeter that provides high reconstruction accuracy of the Stokes parameters. • Modeled system’s optical performance and response using Zemax and CodeV. • Designed and utilized various optical components, including prisms, polarization and diffractive gratings, PM fibers, retarders and polarizers. • Constructed experimental setups to collect a variety of data and measurements, including radiometric, polarimetric and spectral data. • Published peer-reviewed journals and conference papers. • Presented project design theory, fabrication, and results at conferences.

• Worked in the Private Sector Project Department that manages all public-private partnership (PPP) projects, such as the Independent Water and Power Project (IWPP) and the Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC).

• Academic tutor and lab instructor at the University of Sydney for three years. • Taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses such as (1) Communications, Electronics and Photonics, (2) Optical Communication Systems, and (3) Radio Frequency Engineering. • Prepared over 100 powerpoint presentations. • Created an interactive learning environment by providing students with different methods to absorb new information. • Encouraged students to participate in class discussions by raising questions that stimulate curiosity.

• Developed a novel linearized microwave photonic mixer based on dual-parallel Mach-Zhender modulator. Achieved a record high spurious-free dynamic range of 127 dB.Hz4/5. Enabled infinite isolation between the RF and LO signals and operated over a multi-octave frequency range. • Developed a wideband microwave photonic frequency downconverter based on stimulated Brillouin scattering. Optimized for high conversion efficiency, low noise figure and high linearity performance. Operated over a frequency range of 50 GHz. • Utilized various microwave and electro-optic components, including Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFA), Tunable Semiconductor Lasers, Avalanche Photodetectors and PIN Photodiodes, Optical Fibers, Mach-zhender Modulator (MZM), Electro-absorption Modulators (EAM), Hybrid Couplers, Mixers, Vector Network Analyzer (VNA), Spectrum Analyzer. • Modeled system’s optical performance and response using VPI photonics software and Matlab. • Published journal and conference papers.

Research Assistant in the Fiber Optics and Photonics Lab