Research Overview
The Mirage engine is the central methodological contribution of my research: a general-purpose framework for coupled computational optics with high physical fidelity and computational efficiency. I deploy this framework in vat photopolymerization (DLP and TVAM) and in L-PBF process modeling, positioning the work as both a methods contribution and an additive-manufacturing domain contribution.
Active research lines
Coupled non-linear optics
I develop a high-performance, generally applicable engine for coupled optics, with vat photopolymerization as one important application domain. The framework is domain-agnostic: vat photopolymerization is the primary, but not exclusive, application domain. Core ingredients are gradient-index light propagation, ray tracing through finite element domains, and GPU acceleration for large 3D domains. The framework is intentionally modular so optics can be bi-directionally coupled to different physics options, such as reaction-diffusion, thermal transport, mechanics, or other field models depending on the use case.
Related publications
- Fast Hessian-free finite element ray tracing method for light transport in gradient-index media
- High performance coupled opto-chemical simulation of gradient-index light transport in vat photopolymerization
High-resolution Digital light processing (DLP) for chip package manufacturing
I develop models to investigate where the last few micrometers of geometric accuracy can be gained in DLP. I do this by modeling bi-directional light-curing interaction, allowing optical field evolution and curing behavior to influence each other during exposure.
Related publications
- High-resolution additive manufacturing for 3D multifunctional microelectronic devices
- High performance coupled opto-chemical simulation of gradient-index light transport in vat photopolymerization
Striation modeling and mitigation in tomographic additive manufacturing (TVAM)
Striations in tomographic volumetric additive manufacturing are a nonlinear optical artifact driven by light self-focusing. My simulation revealed the first numerical result that reproduces this effect, enabling targeted analysis of where and why striations emerge. The objective is to model, understand, and fix these defects through simulation-guided process optimization.
Related publications
- Related manuscript is currently under review.
Previous research lines
L-PBF process optimization
Before starting my PhD, I worked on accelerated process simulation and optimization for laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). This work combined a GPU-enabled discrete element framework with an online GPU-accelerated ray-traced laser source model and experimental validation. It successfully identified optimal parameter sets with high part quality in AlSi10Mg.
Related publications