Student Innovators of the Year: Nicolas Deshler and Itay Ozer

Original article can be found at https://techlaunch.arizona.edu/news/u-i-squared-event-honors-inventors-startups-and-those-creating-real-world-impact

Nicolas Deshler and Itay Ozer, PhD students in optical sciences, are being honored for their groundbreaking invention of a quantum optimal coronagraph that pushes the boundaries of imaging and exoplanet discovery. Developed through a collaboration that began during an internship and flourished at the U of A, their device uses spatial mode sorting to null starlight and reveal dimmer objects like exoplanets with unprecedented precision. Their innovation reaches the quantum limits of information extraction, offering transformative potential for astronomy, microscopy, and telecommunications.

The duo’s complementary strengths, Nicolas in theory and simulation, Itay in experimental optics, enabled them to rapidly prototype and validate the technology. With support from their advisors and funding from Raytheon, they worked with TLA to secure a patent. Their invention not only advances scientific understanding but also opens doors to commercialization, with applications ranging from space-based observatories to high-bandwidth satellite communications.