L. Jay Guo elected Fellow of Optica

Guo received his honor for his pioneering work and achievements in structural colors and flexible transparent conductors, and for sustained contributions leading to their commercialization.
Jay Guo
L. Jay Guo

Prof. L. Jay Guo, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Michigan, has been elected Fellow of Optica, Class of 2025, “For pioneering work and achievements in structural colors and flexible transparent conductors, and for sustained contributions leading to their commercialization.”

Fellow status is limited to 10% of Optica’s total membership, and is an acknowledgement of individuals who have “served with distinction in the advancement of optics and photonics.”

“Innovation and discovery are the hallmarks of Prof. Guo’s distinguished career spanning more than two decades,” said colleague Herbert Winful, the Joseph E. and Anne P. Rowe Professor of Electrical Engineering, University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor. 

Guo’s research activities include nanoimprint technology and applications, plasmonic nanostructures, organic solar cells, bio-nanotechnology, and nanoelectronics. He has made seminal contributions in the design and applications of optical thin films, most notably in developing environmentally sustainable structural colors and indium-free flexible transparent conductors. Recently, his lab exploited the application of deep learning in the design of optical thin film structures with a technique called OptoGPT.

Companies have shown interest over the years in Guo’s novel and practical approach to nanophotonics and nanoelectronics. This interest led him to co-found two companies: Zenithnano and Inlight Technology Co. 

Zenithnano applies flexible ultrathin film technology to intelligent electronics, green energy, and health. Inlight Technology specializes in nanostructural color technology, with applications in vehicle coating, ceramic coloring, cosmetic enhancement, and colored building-integrated photovoltaics. Guo’s former doctoral student, Dr. Chengang Ji, is CEO of Inlight Technology Co.

Guo has published more than 500 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers; their impact on the field is reflected in their current h-index score of 91. He has also presented  more than 185 invited talks, and published more than 25 U.S. patents. 

He received the Nanoimprint Pioneer Award in 2015, the Monroe-Brown Research Excellence Award from the College of Engineering in 2015, and the Wise-Najafi Prize for Engineering Excellence in the Miniature World in 2023. He is a Fellow of IEEE

Prof. Guo is the current Director of the Macromolecular Science & Engineering Program, and is also a professor of Applied Physics, and Mechanical Engineering. 

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