Brian Kruschwitz is a Senior Scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, and Associate Professor of Optics at the University of Rochester. He currently serves as group leader for the System Science Group, which is charged with characterizing and optimizing the performance of the world-class OMEGA-60 and OMEGA EP Laser Systems. Dr. Kruschwitz joined the Laboratory in 2004, initially leading the development of adaptive optics and plasma-electrode Pockels cell (PEPC) technologies for the OMEGA EP, which were then under development. He later participated in the development, integration, commissioning, and operation of the OMEGA EP Laser System and has since been active in efforts to demonstrate multi-FM smoothing by spectral dispersion technology on OMEGA EP and the National Ignition Facility, and to provide a tunable ultraviolet beam capability on OMEGA EP and OMEGA-60.
Prior to joining the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Dr. Kruschwitz spent six years as a Senior Research Scientist at Eastman Kodak Co. where he worked on a diverse array of optical systems ranging from telecine film scanners to Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) devices and laser projection displays, and in the process earned the CTO Patent Award for having 20 U.S. patents issued.
Dr. Kruschwitz received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in 1992, and a Ph.D. in Optics from the University of Rochester in 1998 under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Brown.
