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Dawn Tan

TAN Dawn

Associate Professor
Provost’s Chair Professor
EMAIL
dawn_tan
sutd.edu.sg
WEBSITE
OFFICE
1.202.08
CONTACT
+65 6499 4607
RESEARCH AREAS
Optics & Nanophotonics

Biography

Dawn Tan is an Associate Professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design where she leads the Photonics Devices and Systems Group. Dr Tan received her doctorate in Electrical Engineering at the University of California San Diego where she was a Powell Fellow. She was previously a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and part of the design team at Californian startup, Luxtera Inc. She was awarded the L’Oréal for Women in Science National Fellowship, named an Innovator under 35 by MIT Technology Review and featured on the Nature Research Inspiring Science Award Longlist.

Dawn’s fields of interest are in experimental optical physics, pertaining to the study of both nonlinear and linear optical phenomena, nanophotonics and quantum optics. Through creative design, photonics can find wide ranging applications in optical communications, computing, imaging, Biomedicine and sensing. She has published three book chapters and over 30 refereed journal and conference articles in the field of integrated optics, silicon photonics and nonlinear optics. Her experience in both industry and academia equips her with a discerning eye on the physical and technological problems which need to be solved in today’s world. Rather than dichotomize design approaches in industry and academia, Dawn seeks innovative solutions which bridge the industry-academia gap.

Prior to joining SUTD, Dawn was involved in outreach programs in the United States. As the president of the NSF Center for Integrated Access Networks student leadership council at UCSD, she worked with K12 students and educators to help promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). She is particularly interested in increasing the popularity of engineering among women and enjoys working and interacting with students; In 2017, she delivered a TEDx talk towards promoting gender parity in Engineering fields. She currently serves on the committee of the SCS Women in Technology Interest Group and in 2018, she co-organized the inaugural Women in Technology and Design Conference.
Education
  • PhD Electrical Engineering (Photonics), University of California San Diego
  • MS Electrical Engineering (Photonics), University of California San Diego
  • BASc (Distinction) Electrical Engineering, University of British Columbia
Institutional and professional services

Institutional services
  • Committee Lead, Undergraduate, Accreditation and Pedagogy Committee, EPD, 2 years
  • Accreditation Lead, EPD 9 years
  • Associate Editor, Journal of the Optical Society B
  • Editorial Advisory Board Member, Advanced Photonics Research

Professional services
  • OSA Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Pacific Rim, Program Committee Co-Chair (Silicon Photonics), 2022
  • OFC 2021, Symposium Committee (Optical, photonic and microwave photonic subsystems), 2021
  • OSA CLEO Symposium Committee (Nonlinear Optical Technologies), 2019 – 2021
  • OSA Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Pacific Rim, Program Committee Co-Chair (Semiconductor and Integrated Optical Devices), 2020
  • SPIE Photonics Europe, Symposium Committee (Nonlinear Optics and its Applications), 2020
  • MRS International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies, Symposium Committee Chair (Ultrafast Optics), 2019
  • IEEE Group IV Photonics Symposium Co-Chair (Applications), 2019
  • SPIE Photonics Europe, Symposium Organizing Committee (Nonlinear Optics and its Applications), 2018
  • Asia Communications and Photonics Conference (ACP), Symposium Organizing Committee, 2018
  • OSA CLEO Pacific Rim, Integrated Optics Symposium Organizing Committee, 2017
  • 7th International Multidisciplinary Conference on Optofluidics, Silicon Photonics Symposium Organizing Committee, 2017
  • Proposal Reviewer, Swiss National Science Foundation, 2019
  • Proposal Reviewer, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, 2017 – current
  • Committee member, International Conference on Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits, 2015
  • Optical Society of America, Integrated Optics Technical Committee, 2016 – current
  • Optical Society of America, Nonlinear Optics Technical Committee Co-Chair, 2015 – current
  • IEEE Lasers and Electro – Optics Society, Singapore Chapter, Executive committee member, 2015 – current
  • Optical Society of America, Nonlinear Optics Session Chair, 2015
  • International Conference on Materials and Technologies Session Chair, 2015
  • Member, Center for Advanced 2D materials and Graphene, 2013
Professional activities
  • Fellow, Member of OSA
Research interests
  • Silicon Photonics
  • Nonlinear Optics
  • Optical Information Processing
  • Nanophotonics
  • Optoelectronics
  • Biophotonics
Awards and achievements
  • Fellow of the Optical Society, 2021
  • The Electromagnetics Society, PhotonIcs & Electromagnetics Research Symposium (PIERS) Young Scientist Award, 2019
  • Peak Magazine’s 35th Anniversary Special Edition Future Shapers List, 2019
  • Prestige Magazine, 40 Under 40, 2018
  • SUTD Education Awards – Award for Research Excellence, 2018
  • L’Oréal for Women in Science Fellowship Winner, Physical & Engineering Science,2017
  • MIT Technology Review, Regional Innovator under 35, 2017
Research opportunities

Collaborations in the field of Nanophotonics, Nonlinear Optics and Silicon Photonics, as well as interdisciplinary collaborations are very much welcome. Prospective postdoctoral researchers and researchers interested in these fields may contact Prof Tan with a copy of your CV and for details.
Selected patents
  • D. T. H. Tan, G. F. R. Chen, C. Donnelly and T. Wang, “Integrated photonic device generating tailored second and third order optical dispersion,” Full U.S. Patent No. US 9,671,673 B2 (2017).
  • D. T. H. Tan, “Integrated photonic device for wavelength selective mode division multiplexing for combining both WDM and MDM,” U.S. Patent No. US 9,971,091 B2 (2018).
  • D. T. H. Tan, “On-chip bidirectional pulse compressor and optical system,” U.S. Patent Application No. 16/931,471. (U.S. Patent Application Filed, 2020)
  • D. T. H. Tan, E. Sahin and B. J. Eggleton, “Augmented supercontinuum through controlled on- chip soliton fission,” US Patent Application No. 16/835,337 (U.S. Patent Application Filed, 2020)
Selected recent publications
  • D. T. H. Tan, D. K. T. Ng, J. W. Choi, E. Sahin, B-. U. Sohn, G. F. R. Chen, P. Xing, H. Gao and Y. Cao, “Nonlinear optics in ultra-silicon-rich nitride devices: recent developments and future outlook,” Advances in Physics: X 6:1 (2021).
  • Y. Cao, E. Sahin, J. W. Choi, P. Xing, G. F. R. Chen, D. K. T. Ng, B. J. Eggleton, and D. T. H. Tan, “Thermo-optically tunable spectral broadening in a nonlinear ultra-silicon-rich nitride Bragg grating,” Photon. Res. 9, 596-604 (2021). (Selected for the Front Cover)
  • E. Sahin, A. Blanco-Redondo, D. K. T. Ng, B. J. Eggleton and D. T. H. Tan, “Wideband spectral enhancement through on-chip Bragg-soliton dynamics.” In Press.
  • H. Gao, G. F. R. Chen, P. Xing, J. W. Choi, H. Y. Low and D. T. H. Tan, “High-resolution 3D printed photonic waveguide devices.” Adv. Opt. Mat. (2020). (https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.202000613) (Selected for the Front Cover)
  • P. Xing, D. Ma, L. C. Kimerling, A. M. Agarwal and D. T. H. Tan, “High efficiency four wave mixing and optical bistability in amorphous silicon carbide ring resonators,” APL Photonics 5, 076110 (2020). (Editor’s Pick)
  • E. Sahin, D. K. T. Ng and D. T. H. Tan, “Optical parametric gain in CMOS-compatible sub-100μm photonic crystal waveguides,” APL Photonics 5, 066108 (2020). (Editor’s Pick)
  • J. W. Choi, B.-U. Sohn, G. F. R. Chen, D. K. T. Ng, and D. T. H. Tan, “Correlated photon pair generation in ultra-silicon-rich nitride waveguides,” Optics Communications 125351 (2020).
  • K. J. A. Ooi, Y. S. Ang, Q. Zhai, X. Sun, P. Xing, C. K. Ong, L. K. Ang and D. T. H. Tan, “Dirac terahertz plasmonics in two and three dimensions,” Optics Communications 125319 (2020). (Invited Article)
  • J. Dawes, C. McGoverin, F. Vanholsbeeck, K. Gordon, W. Lu, K. Nemoto and D. Tan, “A path to equality in Asia-Pacific?” Optics & Photonics News March Issue (2020).
  • J. W. Choi, B.-U. Sohn, G. F. R. Chen, D. K. T. Ng, and D. T. H. Tan, “Soliton-effect optical pulse compression in CMOS-compatible ultra-silicon-rich nitride waveguides,” APL Photonics 4 (2019). (Editor’s Pick)
  • E. Sahin*, A. Blanco-Redondo, P. Xing, Doris K. T. Ng, Ching E. Png, Dawn T. H. Tan,* and Benjamin J. Eggleton* (*Co-corresponding authors), “Bragg soliton compression and fission on CMOS-compatible ultra-silicon-rich nitride” Laser & Photon. Rev. 1900114 (2019). (Front Cover Article, featured in OSA Optics and Photonics News, IEEE Spectrum Magazine)
  • P. Xing, D. Ma, K. J. A. Ooi, J. W. Choi, A. M. Agarwal and D. T. H. Tan, “CMOS compatible PECVD silicon carbide platform for linear and nonlinear optics,” ACS Photonics 6, 1162- 1167 (2019). (Cover Article, Featured in MIT News.)
  • B.-U. Sohn, J. W. Choi, D. K. T. Ng, and D. T. H. Tan, “Optical nonlinearities in ultra-silicon-rich nitride characterized using z-scan measurements,” Sci Rep. 9: 10364 (2019).
  • G. F. R. Chen, J. W. Choi, E. Sahin. D. K. T. Ng and D. T. H. Tan, “On-Chip 1 by 8 Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexer and Multi-Wavelength Source on Ultra-Silicon-Rich Nitride,” Opt. Express 27, 23549-23557 (2019).
  • B.-U. Sohn, M. Kang, J. W. Choi, A. M. Agarwal, K. C. Richardson, and D. T. H. Tan, “Observation of very high order multi-photon absorption in GeSbS chalcogenide glass,” APL Photonics 4, 036102 (2019). (Editor’s Pick)
  • K. J. A. Ooi, Y. S. Ang, Q. Zhai, D. T. H. Tan, L. K. Ang, C. K. Ong, “Nonlinear plasmonics of three- dimensional Dirac semimetals,” APL Photonics 4, 034402 (2019). (Invited Article)
  • P. Xing, K. J. A. Ooi and D. T. H. Tan, “Ultra-broadband and compact graphene-on-silicon integrated waveguide mode filters,” Sci. Rep. 8, 9874 (2018).
  • J. W. Choi, B.-U. Sohn, G. F. R. Chen, D. K. T. Ng and D. T. H. Tan, “Broadband incoherent four- wave mixing and parametric gain using ultra-silicon rich nitride devices,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 112, 181101 (2018).
  • D. T. H. Tan, K. J. A. Ooi and D. K. T. Ng, “Nonlinear Optics on Silicon Rich Nitride – A High Nonlinear Figure of Merit CMOS Platform,” Photon. Res. 6, B50-B66 (2018). (Invited Review Article)
  • K. J. A. Ooi, D. K. T. Ng, L. C. Kimerling, A. Agarwal and D. T. H. Tan, “Giant Optical Parametric Gains using Engineered Optical Nonlinearities in Ultra-Silicon-Rich Nitride Devices,” Optics and Photonics News, 2017 Year in Optics Special Edition, (Selected as one of the top Photonics Technologies in 2017)
  • K. J. A. Ooi, D. K. T. Ng, T. Wang, A. K. L. Chee, S. K. Ng, Q. Wang, L. K. Ang, A. M. Agarwal, L.
    C. Kimerling and D. T. H. Tan, “Pushing the limits of CMOS optical parametric amplifiers with USRN: Si7N3 above the two-photon absorption edge,” Nature Communications 8, 13878 (2017). (Highlighted by Sciencedaily.com, Novus Light Technologies, QS Wow News, Physorg.com, Photonik.de etc.)
  • E. Sahin, K. J. A. Ooi, G. F. R. Chen, C. E. Png, D. K. T. Ng and D. T. H. Tan, “Enhanced optical nonlinearities in ultra-silicon-rich nitride photonic crystal waveguides,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 111, 121104 (2017).
  • K. J. A. Ooi, D. T. H. Tan, “Nonlinear graphene plasmonics,” Proc. R. Soc. A 473 (2206), 20170433 (2017). (Invited Review Article, Selected as the Front Cover Article)
  • K. J. A. Ooi, P. C. Leong, L. K. Ang and D. T. H. Tan, “All-optical control on a graphene-on-silicon waveguide modulator,” Sci. Rep. 7, 12748 (2017). (Highlighted by Scientific Reports as one of the Top 100 Physics papers in 2017)
  • B. U. Sohn, C. Monmeyran, L. C. Kimerling, A. M. Agarwal and D. T. H. Tan, “Kerr nonlinearity and multi-photon absorption in germanium at mid-infrared wavelengths,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 111, 091902 (2017).
  • J. R. Ong, T. Y. L. Ang, E. Sahin, B. Pawlina, G. F. R. Chen, D. T. H. Tan, S. T. Lim and C. E. Png, “Broadband silicon polarization beam splitter with a high extinction ratio using a triple-bent- waveguide directional coupler,” Opt. Lett. 42, 4450-4453 (2017).
  • E. Sahin, K.J. A. Ooi, C. E. Png, and D. T. H. Tan, “Large, scalable dispersion engineering using cladding-modulated Bragg gratings on a silicon chip,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 110, 161113 (2017).
  • G. F. R. Chen, J. Ong T. Y. L. Ang, C. E. Png and D. T. H. Tan, “Broadband Silicon-On-Insulator directional couplers using a combination of straight and curved waveguide sections,” Sci. Rep. 7 7246 (2017). (Highlighted by Scientific Reports as one of the Top 100 Physics papers in 2017)
  • P. Xing, G. F. R. Chen, X. Zhao, M. C. Tan and D. T. H. Tan, “Silicon Rich Nitride Ring Resonators for rare–earth doped C-band amplifiers pumped at the O-band,” Sci. Rep. 7 9101 (2017).
  • G. F. R. Chen, X. Zhao, Y. Sun, C. He, M. C. Tan, and D. T. H. Tan, “Low-Loss Nanostructured On-Chip Channel Polymeric Waveguide Amplifier,” Sci. Rep. 7 3366 (2017).
  • E. Sahin, K.J. A. Ooi, C. E. Png, and D. T. H. Tan, “Large, scalable dispersion engineering using cladding-modulated Bragg gratings on a silicon chip,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 110, 161113 (2017).
  • K. J. A. Ooi, Y. S. Ang, J. L. Cheng, L. K. Ang and D. T. H. Tan, “Electronic scattering of graphene plasmons in the terahertz nonlinear regime,” IEEE Journal of Sel. Topics in Quantum Electronics, 23 1-6 (2017).
  • J. W. Choi, B. Y. Sohn, G. F. R. Chen, C. Smith, L. C. Kimerling, K. A. Richardson, A. M. Agarwal and D. T. H. Tan, “Nonlinear characterization of GeSbS chalcogenide glass waveguides,” Sci. Rep. 6 39234 (2016).
  • Z. Han, V. Singh, D. Kita, D. C. Monmeyran, P. Becla, P. Su, J. Li, X. Huang, L. C. Kimerling, J. Hu, J. K. Richardson, D. T. H. Tan and A. Agarwal, “On-chip chalcogenide glass waveguide- integrated mid-infrared PbTe detectors”, Applied Physics Letters, 109, 071111 (2016).
  • D. T. H. Tan, D. K. T. Ng, T. Wang, S. K. Ng, Y. T. Toh, Q. Wang, G. F. R. Chen and A. K. L. Chee “Ultra-silicon-rich nitride devices for CMOS nonlinear optics,” SPIE Newsroom DOI: 10.1117/2.1201603.006326 (2016). (Invited Article)
  • K. J. A. Ooi, J. L. Cheng, J. E. Sipe, L. K. Ang, D. T. H. Tan, “Ultrafast, broadband and configurable midinfrared all-optical switching in nonlinear graphene plasmonic waveguides,” APL Photonics 1 (4), 046101 (2016).
  • J. W. Choi, G. F. R. Chen, D. K. T. Ng, K. J. A. Ooi and D. T. H. Tan, “Wideband nonlinear spectral broadening in ultra-short ultra – silicon rich nitride waveguides,” Sci. Rep. 6, 27120 (2016).
  • Z. Han, P. Lin, V. Singh, L. Kimerling, J. Hu, K. Richardson, A. Agarwal, and D. T. H. Tan, “On- chip mid-infrared gas detection using chalcogenide glass waveguide,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 108, 141106 (2016).