 Stephen
D. Jacobs
Senior Scientist, Professor
of Optics and Chemical Engineering
Office: Laboratory for Laser
Energetics 1429
Phone: (585) 275-4837 (lab: 5-2478)
Fax: (585) 275-7225
E-mail: sjac@lle.rochester.edu
Short Biography
Stephen D. Jacobs received his B.S. in Optics (with high
distinction) in 1970, and his Ph.D. in Optics in 1976, both
from the University of Rochester. He has worked at the Laboratory
for Laser Energetics (LLE) his entire career, becoming a
Senior Scientist in 1982. He manages the Department of Optical
Technology within the Engineering Division. This department
consists of over 35 scientists, engineers and technicians
doing basic materials research, advanced development, process
development and optics manufacturing. Areas of responsibility
in support of the OMEGA and OMEGA EP laser systems include
precision optics from the IR through the UV, high power
dielectric/sol-gel coatings, laser induced damage, and liquid
crystal optics.
Dr. Jacobs holds joint appointments
as a Professor of Optics (The Institute of Optics), Professor
of Chemical Engineering (Department of Chemical Engineering),
and Professor of Materials Science (Materials Science Program).
He teaches two graduate courses: Optical Fabrication and
Testing (Optics 443, Spring-even years), and Liquid Crystal
Optics (ChE 447, Spring, odd years). He supervises Ph.D
thesis research in all three disciplines. He is a Fellow
of both the SPIE and OSA.
Research
Dr. Jacobs conducts research in two areas. His work on novel
optical finishing processes is currently centered on mechanisms
of material removal for Magnetorheololgical Finishing (MRF).
His group and an international group of collaborators invented
MRF in the mid ‘90’s, and the technology was
successfully spun off in the form of a local company, QED
Technologies, Inc., in 1997. Dr. Jacobs’ work in the
field of liquid crystals spans three decades. OMEGA is the
only high peak power laser system in the world to use large
aperture lc polarizers and wave plates. It contains 300
devices in apertures to 200 mm. Currently his lc group is
conducting research on polymer cholesteric liquid crystal
flakes for active e-o applications such as electronic paper.
Jacobs'
Group Homepage
Kenneth Marshall, Research Engineer; liquid crystal chemistry
and electro-optic devices
Tanya Kosc, Ph.D., University of Rochester; electro-optics
of polymer liquid crystal flakes
Anka Trajkovska-Petkoska, Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering;
shaped pCLC flakes
Jessica DeGroote, Ph.D. candidate in Optics; surface texture
from MRF
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