Milan Palei

I am PhD in Physics working in Nanophotonics for Quantum Communication.

 RESEARCH & WORK EXPERIENCE 

Zhong Lab, University of Chicago Chicago, IL 

Postdoctoral Researcher Jan,2023- Present 

• Researching to create a nanophotonics platform for Quantum Computing and Communication. Current work involves designing, fabrication, characterization of high-quality factor (Q) photonic crystal nanobeam cavities (PhCsNBC) with embedded rare earth ions and on-chip in-situ generation of entangled photon pairs in high quality factor ring resonator. 

• Skills include design of PhCsNBC using Lumerical FDTD, Layout design using Python, fabricating Silicon based PhCsNBC devices in UChicago’s PNF cleanroom using optical lithography, electron-beam lithography (EBL), Focused Ion Beam, dry etching (fluorine, chlorine, Bosch process) building optical setups to measure and characterize devices involving polarization optics, fiber optics, dilution freeze at milli kelvin and data analysis using Python and Matlab of measured and simulated data. 

Notre Dame Nanophotonics, Hoffman Lab, University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 

Postdoctoral Researcher Sept 2019 − Jan 2023 

• Research work in Design, fabrication, and characterization of hyperbolic metasurfaces for super-resolution imaging and controlling the far-field emission. Optical characterization and Fluorescence Spectroscopy of TMDC. Bi-directional Reflectance/Scattering Distribution Function (BRDF) experimental design and measurement for Super absorbing laser textured micro/nano surfaces. Nanotexturing of SiC color centers and Confocal Fluorescence and Raman Spectroscopy. Lumerical FDTD simulation of Metasurface, QCL characterization 

• Skill includes design of E-beam mask using Cadence, K-Layout, Beamer. Fabrication skill including EBL and FIB, RCWA and Lumerical simulation 

 Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) Genova, Italy 

PhD Student and Fellow Jan 2016 − Aug 2019 

• Research Skill, including simulations, fabrication involving atomic layer deposition (ALD) of oxides on Quantum Dot film, EBL and thin film deposition and measurements, including optical characterization like ellipsometry, Confocal microscopy, Time Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC), Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) and Spectroscopy. 

• Research work involved in fabrication and characterization of Epsilon-Near-Zero (ENZ) nanocavities made of Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) and it’s coupling with quantum dots to study novel light matter interaction such as Purcell effect enhancement, Strong Coupling, refractive index sensing etc. 

Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Berkeley, CA 

Research Affiliate Sept 2018-Nov,2018 

- Researched on in-situ fabrication of TiN multilayer hyperbolic metamaterial via ALD and its optical characterization using in-situ ellipsometry for developing broadband hyperbolic super-lens. 

Sensors and Self-Powered Devices Laboratory, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore Bangalore,India 

Project Research Assistant July 2015 − Oct 2015 

• Research work including fabrication, device characterization and data analysis of Carbon-based supercapacitor device and making carbon nanotube (CNT) based bolometer. 

Conducting Polymer Lab, Department of Physics, IIT Madras Chennai, India 

MSc Thesis Jan 2014 − July 2015 

• Researched fabrication of electro spun nanofibers made from Metal oxide and used it for electrode material for high energy density electrode for Asymmetric Supercapacitor. Worked on investigating reducing the leakage current in supercapacitor device. Research skill including developing E-spin set-up, fabrication using hydrothermal process, XRD, XPS, Imaging using electron microscopy. 

Teaching, University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 

Sept 2019 – Jan 2023 

• Delivered two weeks of Guest lectures on advanced condensed matter physics on Spring semester 2020 and Nanophotonics on Fall Semester 2022 to graduate students in Engineering and Science 

 University of Genova and IIT Genova Genova, Italy 

PhD in Nanochemistry discipline 

Thesis Title: “Light Matter Interaction in Epsilon-Near-Zero Metal/Insulator Layered Nanocavities” 2016-2019 Coursework on Advanced Spectroscopy, Condensed Matter Physics, Electron Microscopy, Nanofabrication, Nanophotonics 

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IITM) Chennai, India 

Master of Science (MS) in Physics 2013-2015 

Master’s Thesis: “Development of Asymmetric Supercapacitor”. 

Coursework in Electronics, Advanced Electronics, Quantum Mechanics I and II, Condensed Matter Physics, Electromagnetic Theory. 

Utkal University Bhubaneswar, India 

Bachelor’s degree in science and education (BSc-BEd), Major in Physics 2008-2012 

Honors: First Class with Distinction 

Coursework in Linear Algebra, Calculus, Nonlinear Dynamics, Probability & Statistics, Circuits, Lab Electronics, Signals & Systems, Electricity & Magnetism, and Quantum Mechanics.