VINSE graduate student Chris Whittington, a Ph.D. student in Interdisciplinary Materials Science at Vanderbilt University, received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 2025 SPIE Optics + Photonics Conference, held August 17–21 in San Diego, CA.
His poster, “Heterogeneous Integration of VO₂ Nanopatches on Subwavelength-Engineered Antislot Photonic Crystal for Optical Switching,” tied for the top presentation in the SPIE Active Photonic Platforms conference. The work was co-authored by Rafael Rodas Aguilar, Sami I. Halimi, Christina McGahan and Sharon M. Weiss.
The SPIE Optics + Photonics Conference is a premier international meeting for researchers advancing optical science and engineering. The Active Photonic Platforms conference focuses on materials and device structures that enable dynamic control of light, such as optical switches and modulators. Whittington’s work presents a novel integration of phase-change materials with photonic crystal structures to enable compact, tunable optical devices.
Whittington’s recognition highlights the innovative research being conducted in the Weiss Lab and reflects Vanderbilt’s growing impact in the field of active photonic materials and device platforms.