About Me
PhD Candidate @ UC Berkeley
I am a PhD Candidate in the Applied Science and Technology (AS&T) Program within the Department of EECS at UC Berkeley, conducting research under the supervision of Professor Kanté. My current research lies at the intersection of Quantum Optics, Silicon Photonics, and Topological Photonics on engineering scalable single-photon sources for quantum information processing. Before my doctoral study, I focused on wave-optics in the EUV and X-ray regimes for spectroscopy.- Residency:
Berkeley, CA, U.S.A - Email:
difanwen@berkeley.edu
Resume
Education
Aug 2022 - Current
Applied Science and Technology (Ph.D.)
College of Engineering | UC Berkeley
Supervisor: Professor Boubacar Kanté
Aug 2018 - May 2022
Engineering Physics (B.S.)
College of Engineering | UC Berkeley
Advisor: Professor David Attwood
Aug 2018 - May 2022
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (B.S.)
College of Engineering | UC Berkeley
Advisor: Professor Eli YablonovitchResearch Experience
Aug 2022 - Current
Graduate Student Researcher
Kanté Lab | UC Berkeley
Molecular Foundry | LBNL
Molecular Foundry | LBNL
Research focused on designing novel photonic devices and integrated single-photon sources
May 2021 - Sep 2021
Student Research Intern
LCLS-II | SLAC National Laboratory
Designing and optimizing optical systems for TXI instrument to combine X-rays from two free-electron lasers into a single interaction point for X-ray Pump/Probe experiment
Teaching Assistant Experience
Jan 2026 - Current
EE 290 - Fundamentals of EUV Lithography
Taught by Professor Anthony Yen
Jan 2025 - May 2025
AST C210 - X-rays and EUV Radiation
Taught by Professor David Attwood
Jan 2024 - May 2024
EE 117 - Electromagnetic Fields and Waves
Taught by Professor Boubacar Kanté
Jan 2022 - May 2022
AST C210 - X-rays and EUV Radiation
Taught by Professor David Attwood
Jan 2021 - May 2021
AST C210 - X-rays and EUV Radiation
Taught by Professor David Attwood
Design & Software
-
Silicon Photonics & PICs:
- Ansys Lumerical (FDTD, MODE, INTERCONNECT)
- Tidy3D
- EMopt (Customized EM Solver for inverse-design)
- KLayout (GDSII)
- Customized PDK for Photonic Devices Layout with Python
- Tape-out experience with Foundry PDKs (AIM Photonics, SiEPIC)
-
Optical Design & Ray Tracing:
- Zemax OpticStudio
- Synopsys CODE V
-
Multi-Physics Simulation:
- COMSOL Multiphysics
- Ansys Lumerical Multiphysics
-
Keysight RF & Quantum:
- PathWave ADS
- EMPro & Momentum
Semiconductor Processing
-
Patterning:
- Photolithography
- Focused-ion Beam Lithography
-
Etching:
- Plasma Reactive Ion Etching
- Focused-ion Beam Milling
-
Thin Film Deposition:
- PECVD
- E-beam Evaporation
- Sputtering
-
Metrology:
- Scanning Electron Microscopy
- Focused-ion Beam Microscopy
- Transmission Electron Microscopy
Optical Engineering & Metrology
-
PIC Testing:
- Grating Coupler Alignment
- Automated Chip-scale Device Characterization
-
Optical Characterization:
- Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) Interferometry
- Photoluminescence (PL) Spectroscopy
- Confocal Microscopy
-
Instrumentation Control:
- Python (PyVISA)
- MATLAB Instrument Control Toolbox
- Automated Optical Characterization
Service & Leadership
-
Graduate Assembly Delegate
- Served on the Funding & Finance Committees to oversee budget allocations.
- Advocated for graduate student interests in university-wide policy discussions.
-
AS&T Departmental Student Liaison
- Organized community-building initiatives and social events.
-
Photobears (Optica Student Chapter)
Soft Skills
- Autodidactic Fingerstyle Guitarist
- Part-time Acoustic Guitar Instructor
Technical & Creative Proficiencies
Visual Design (Adobe Suite)
Photography & Video Editing
3D Modeling (Autodesk 3DS Max, Autodesk Maya, Blender)
Language Spoken: English, Mandarin Chinese
Certificates
Silicon Photonics Design, Fabrication and Data Analysis
Dec 2024
PIC 1: Fabless Design within the AIM Photonics Foundry
Jul 2025