Abstract: Advances in optics and photonics are driving innovations in display and imaging systems, but conventional optical elements remain limited by bulkiness and restricted light modulation. To overcome these challenges, new design paradigms are necessary for compact, high-performance systems. Metasurfaces offer unprecedented control over light in ultra-thin form factors, providing a potential solution for miniaturized optical elements across various applications. In this talk, I will explore metasurface-enabled optical elements and their applications in display and imaging systems. I will discuss the principles, design, and fabrication of nanophotonic structures and their integration into optical systems for both miniaturization and enhanced performance. A recent project on AR waveguide displays will be highlighted, showcasing how inverse-designed metasurface waveguides, coupled with AI-driven hologram algorithms, enable full-color, 3D optical see-through AR displays in a compact form factor. I will also present ongoing research at the intersection of nanophotonics, optical system engineering, and AI, aiming to develop the next generation of miniaturized optical technologies for imaging and display system applications.

Bio: Gun-Yeal is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Stanford University, working with Professor Gordon Wetzstein at the Stanford Computational Imaging Lab. He is broadly interested in optics and photonics, with a particular focus on nanophotonics and metasurfaces. His recent research, at the intersection of optics and computational imaging, focuses on developing next-generation optical imaging, display, and computing systems. He completed his PhD at Seoul National University in 2021 and received BS degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics from Seoul National University in 2015. He is the recipient of the OSA Incubic/Milton Chang Award, SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship, OSA Emil-Wolf Award finalist, and the NRF Postdoc Fellowship.