Lieven Penninck founded PlanOpSim in 2019 to develop numerical simulation software for the design of metasurfaces, metalenses and planar optics in general.
Penninck believes the development of ultra-compact sensors and imagers will demand significant research attention: ‘These sensors will become a backbone of ever smarter devices.’
‘I think we are on the brink of large-scale application,’ he said. ‘Two major challenges need to be overcome for this. The first is identifying winning applications where meta-surfaces can realise their promise of game-changing components. Second is industrialising from small-scale prototyping to high-volume manufacturing. Both are formidable tasks.’
Despite his confidence that the R&D community will overcome those challenges, Penninck made special mention of the work of Francesco Monticone and Owen Miller, who he said make great contributions about the limits of nano-structured components. ‘Nano-structures can do a lot, but they cannot do everything, said Penninck.
You can find Penninck online at linkedin.com/in/lieven-penninck-86200a10/. He plans to attend Photonics West in San Francisco in January and the META conference in Paris in July.
Organisation: PlanOpSim
Role: CEO
Based in: Ghent, Belgium
Education: PhD in photonics engineering, Ghent University