Staliunas, Kestutis

Biography

Graduated Theoretical Physics, Vilnius University, Lithuania, 1985. PhD in Physics, Vilnius University, 1989. Habilitation in Physics, Vilnius University, 2001. A.v. Humboldt fellow in Physikalisch-Technische Bundesantstalt (PTB) Braunschweig, Germany, 1991-1992. Between 1993-2003 senior research fellow in Braunschweig PTB and University of Hanover researching on nonlinear pattern formation in lasers (optical vortices, spatial solitons) and in Bose condensates. Since 2004 ICREA research professor in Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, head of research group on lasers, photonic and sonic crystals, nonlinear laser dynamics. Professional experience: around 250 articles in scientific journals; around 500 presentations in conferences among them around 60 invited presentations; 2 patents. Monograph "Transverse Patterns in Nonlinear Optical Resonators" Springer, 2003; Up to now directed (or currently directing) 13 PhD projects.

Research Interest

Spatial quality of the laser beams is of high importance in technologies: good quality beams propagate better, and can be more tight focused. Not all lasers, however, produce good beams: the radiation of some lasers, especially of very important semiconductor microlasers, are too random and noisy. We developed new techniques to manipulate the spatial structure of radiation, by letting them propagate through micro-modulated photonic materials. The main research direction of the group is the development of these light-manipulation techniques and implementing them. Also the good quality beams of other waves, microwaves, sound waves, or matter waves are required. We apply our experience in "light beam manipulation" to the other types of waves, and we are producing "clean" and well directed sound beams by so called "sonic crystals" in acoustics (coordinated research projects with Technical University of Valencia), as well as matter wave beams in periodically modulated Bose condensates.