Pioneering the Future of Light: Optics and Photonics Research at UCF's CREOL
The College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) stands as a global leader in optics and photonics education, research, and partnership. CREOL's faculty and students have been instrumental in defining fields such as ultrafast lasers, integrated photonics, and quantum science, shaping industry, academia, national labs, and startups across the globe. With a vision to lead the world in these critical fields, CREOL serves as an engine of discovery, driving innovation and progress in light-based technologies.
A Hub of Innovation and Discovery
Located at UCF, CREOL is one of the world’s premier institutions for the study of optics, lasers, and photonics. CREOL faculty, scientists and students pioneer collaborative and multi-disciplinary research that enables impactful technologies for widespread and cross-cutting applications. Home to world-class research centers and cutting-edge facilities, CREOL is renowned as a global leader in optics and photonics.
Historical Roots and Growth
The genesis of CREOL can be traced back to the mid-1980s with the formation of the Florida High Technology and Industry Council (FHTIC). Recognizing the potential for a dedicated optics research center to bolster Florida's burgeoning high-tech sector, Ron Phillips of UCF's Electrical Engineering Department advocated for the creation of the Center for Research in Electro-Optics and Lasers (CREOL). This initiative aimed to provide Florida's industries with access to cutting-edge research, talented students, and expert faculty in advanced optical and laser sciences.
In response to this recommendation, the Florida legislature approved $1.5 million in recurring funds for UCF to support CREOL's establishment. MJ Soileau was appointed as the center's first director in January 1987, and he was soon joined by Eric Van Stryland and David Hagan.
From Center to College: A Trajectory of Excellence
In 2004, UCF's board of trustees elevated the School of Optics and Photonics to full college status, marking it as the first college in the United States dedicated specifically to optics and photonics at a public university. Until 2013, CREOL exclusively offered Master's and Doctoral degrees in Optics. However, in March 2013, the Board of Trustees approved the Bachelor of Science in Photonic Science and Engineering, a collaborative effort between CREOL and UCF's College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS). Graduates of this program receive a joint degree from both COP and CECS, becoming alumni of both colleges.
Since its establishment in 1986, CREOL has awarded over 220 PhD and over 330 MS degrees. The faculty have published 27 books and authored over 1900 journal articles, which have been cited over 26,800 times.
Key Research Areas
CREOL's research activities encompass all aspects of optics, photonics, and lasers, with the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE) and the Townes Laser Institute (TLI) serving as integral components of its research infrastructure.
Lasers: Lasers have become a ubiquitous piece of technology found in a vast array of technologies. The ability to generate a single frequency beam of intense light with either a narrow spatial or temporal bandwidth has created new frontiers to be explored in every scientific field. Lasers have been one of the central technological developments responsible for revolutions in communications, defense, manufacturing, and medicine.
Fiber Optics: Fiber optics allows us to transport and distribute optically encoded information over long distances with low losses as well as to collect and manipulate optical signals. Advances in optical fiber have revolutionized the fields of communication and information processing and continued research in materials science and optical engineering will aid in the development of next generation devices.
Nonlinear Optics: Nonlinear optics deals with the behavior of intense light in media exhibiting nonlinear response to the applied optical field. It enables wavelength conversion and multiphoton absorption, and plays essential roles in optical telecommunication, nonlinear microscopy and spectroscopy, and attosecond science.
Quantum Optics: Quantum optics is concerned with light-matter interaction phenomena requiring quantum-mechanical description.
Optoelectronics: Optoelectronics enables the bi-directional conversion of energy between photons and electrons to generate, absorb and manipulate light within the context of electronic systems. Example devices include LEDs, semiconductor lasers, modulators, photodetectors, and solar cells.
Optical Sensing, Imaging, and Display: Optical sensing, imaging, and display involve the acquisition, manipulation, and presentation of optical information by use of optical irradiance, phase, coherence, polarization, luminescence, in one or more dimensions. The research in this area synergizes device development and signal processing.
Biophotonics: Biophotonics is a multidisciplinary research area where light-based methods are utilized to understand and manipulate biological processes. Light-based methods are utilized to understand and manipulate biological processes.
Astrophotonics: Peering into the Cosmos with Light
The CREOL Astrophotonics research effort, comprising over 30 scientists and research students at UCF, is led by Professor Stephen Eikenberry. This team has secured nearly $3.5 million in funding from a MURI (Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives) grant through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The team’s research focuses on two key technologies: photonic lanterns and heterodyne spectroscopy. Nearly a third of CREOL’s faculty members are involved, including professors Rodrigo Amezcua-Correa, Miguel Bandres, Peter Delfyett, Darren Hudson and Axel Schülzgen. As of Spring 2025, the CREOL astrophotonics team includes more than 20 undergraduate students and 15 doctoral students.
Eikenberry earned his doctoral degree in astronomy at Harvard University in 1997. He joined CREOL in 2021 after serving as a professor of astronomy at the University of Florida and before that, Cornell University. Eikenberry’s research group at CREOL focuses on studying black holes, neutron stars, dark energy and extrasolar planets.
Key Technologies and Applications
The CREOL astrophotonics team is focused on advancing two key technologies:
Photonic Lanterns: Eikenberry’s team is researching how to use them as quantum-inspired imagers to attain the high resolution necessary to characterize space debris.
Heterodyne Spectroscopy: Eikenberry says creating a global array of infrared telescopes will produce images with a resolution 10,000 times greater than radio telescopes can.
Delfyett says the same technology can be used to look back down on the Earth. This technology has broad applications, including defense and environmental science.
Contributing to Space Research
The expanding research areas support UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright’s mission to strengthen the university’s position as a leader in space research. This is implemented through the Space and Planetary Instrumentation, Commercialization, and Education (SPICE) initiative, managed by the Florida Space Institute providing support to multiple colleges and departments, including CREOL for the advancement of space photonics.
Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE)
The FPCE was established in 2003 with a $10 million grant from the State of Florida to create a new center of excellence within The College of Optics and Photonics. The focus of the FPCE research and education work is on the technologies of nanophotonics, biophotonics, advanced imaging and 3D displays, and ultra-high bandwidth communications, all of which have forecasts of rapid market growth. Work at the center has resulted in the creation of 31 jobs, and in the filing of 40 patents, of which 14 were issued.
Townes Laser Institute (TLI)
The Townes Laser Institute was dedicated in 2007 in the presence of, and honoring Charles Townes, 1964 Nobel Laureate in Physics and the inventor of the concept of the laser. Associated with CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics and the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE) it is funded by the State of Florida to develop the next generation of laser light engines for applications in medicine, advanced manufacturing and defense applications.
Shaping the Future of Photonics
CREOL's impact extends far beyond its research labs and classrooms. The college actively fosters collaborations with industry and government, ensuring that its discoveries translate into real-world applications. CREOL's annual Industrial Affiliates Symposium serves as a platform for academia, industry, and government to converge, fostering innovation and partnership.
It is also apparent that photonics is becoming core infrastructure, underpinning everything from AI data centers and quantum systems to advanced manufacturing and national security. If electrons defined the last century, photons will define this one.
Florida has an extraordinary foundation. With CREOL as an anchor, aligned with industry, patient capital, and long-term thinking - I believe this region can become one of the defining photonics clusters of the 21st century.
Opportunities for Students
CREOL provides numerous opportunities for students to engage in cutting-edge research and professional development. The Spring Optics and Photonics Career Fair, hosted by CREOL, attracts students studying optics and photonics, engineering, and physics. Additionally, non-UCF undergraduate students can apply for opportunities to gain hands-on research experience in optics and photonics.
To ensure our students are successful no matter their financial situation, CREOL offers several fellowship opportunities to provide financial aid.CREOL Graduate Fellowships are college-funded. Applicants for the PhD program will automatically be considered. Stipends are competitive and awarded in the amount of a minimum of $30,000 per year with a tuition waiver and health insurance. University Trustees and Presidential Fellowships are offered by university in the amount of $25,000 and $20,000 per year with a tuition waiver and health insurance. Qualified applicants are nominated by the College. Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistantships are funded by faculty research grants. Typically, these are awarded to Ph.D. students or M.S. students who have already decided to pursue the Ph.D. degree. Students are encouraged to apply for scholarships and fellowships offered by national and professional organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), SPIE, and the Department of Defense (DOD).Endowed Fellowships are funded by generous donations from our friends and supporters. This fellowship allows outstanding students to start their Ph.D. studies in the College and find a research advisor after they arrive. Most of our incoming Ph.D. students are recruited on this type of fellowship.All Ph.D. applicants will automatically be considered for the ORC fellowship. citizens and permanent residents. There is no separate application for these fellowships. Established in 2007, the fellowship honors Mrs. Frances Townes, a life-long advocate for individuals in underserved and underrepresented communities. The fellowship covers tuition and living expenses and priority is given to graduate students who are admitted and plan to enroll during a fall semester. The deadline for consideration is January 15. Fellowships are occasionally given with spring admission for extraordinary circumstances.
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