Professor Sang-Hyun Oh named Optica Fellow
Professor Sang-Hyun Oh was recently elevated to Fellow by Optica, formerly The Optical Society (OSA). He was cited for his “outstanding contributions to the development of fabrication techniques for nanophotonics, of nanophotonic biosensors, and of ultrastrong light-matter interactions.”
At the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Oh leads a multi-disciplinary team of researchers working at the intersection of nanotechnology and life sciences for the development of new tools for scientific discovery processes. His expertise includes nanofabrication, biosensors, nano-optics, and microfluidic biotechnology. His collaboration with professor David Norris (now at ETH Zurich) resulted in the development of a new technique called “template-stripping” for the manufacture of ultrasmooth patterned metals. The technique is widely used by many researchers to produce atomically smooth metal films and ultra-sharp metal tips for applications involving nano-optics, biosensors, and graphene devices.
Oh’s team has demonstrated a new method called atomic layer lithography that can create ultra-long atomic-scale gaps at the wafer scale. The resulting structures open the door to carrying out a series of new experiments at the nanoscale for investigating fundamental physics as well as for developing practical biochemical sensors and optoelectronic chips.
Oh’s scientific techniques have been adopted by other researchers. His prolific research, and outstanding contributions to engineering and its applications will have long term impact. The awards and honors he has received all point to his commitment to research and a passion for breaking new ground. Early in his career he was the recipient of the 3M Faculty Award (2008), the American Chemical Society New Investigator Award (2009), and the UMN Initiative for Renewable Energy and Environment Early Career Award (2010). In 2011, he was the recipient of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Award, the DARPA Young Faculty Award, and the NSF CAREER Award. In 2019, the University of Minnesota honored him with the Distinguished McKnight University Professorship.
In ECE, professor Sang-Hyun Oh holds the Sanford P. Bordeau Endowed Chair in Electrical Engineering.