What Could Leftover Radiation from the Big Bang Teach Us About the Universe’s Origins?
From Boston to the South Pole, Kirit Karkare and the BU Cosmology Group investigate dark matter, dark energy, and cosmic microwave background
Welcome to Our Center
Center Statistics
Publications per Year
200
+
202 articles in AY 2025
Active Faculty Members
52
Ranging across the CoE, CAS, MED School, and beyond.
BIC Tenants
11
Funded R&D Projects in FY26
147
News & Media
A Simple, Noninvasive Way to Assess Collagen in the Skin of Scleroderma Patients
Light scattering technique applied to scleroderma for first time
The Renewable Energy Challenge Isn’t Just Generating Power—It’s Saving It for Later
Boston University engineers are exploring new ways to store sustainable energy by using heat-holding ceramics
Chen Yang Named Optica Fellow
For outstanding contributions to nanophotonics and photoacoustic neuromodulation as a new paradigm for non-genetic, high-precision optical control of neural activity
New Video Game Could Help Reveal How People with Autism Perceive the World
Boston University researchers built a game that can be played by people across the autism spectrum—and that could one day help improve the development and testing of new therapies
Masha Kamenetska Wins Moore Foundation Award to Push “Boundaries of Experimental Physics”
Maria (Masha) Kamenetska draws on chemistry, physics, and engineering to study molecules and drive advances in imaging, sensing, and quantum technology
Professors David Boas, Ji-Xin Cheng, Xin Zhang and more named William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professors
The William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professorship was established in 2008 to recognize Boston University’s most distinguished faculty. Named in honor of BU’s first president, the award is the highest distinction bestowed upon senior faculty members who remain actively involved in research, scholarship, teaching, and the University’s civic life. Nominations for this award are traditionally due […]
A New Way to Design Silence
Featured image: From noisy streets to quieter living spaces, machine-learning-driven acoustic metamaterials could enable more adaptable and effective control of unwanted sound. The artwork was created by Mengyu Li, a graduate student in Prof. Xin Zhang’s Lab at Boston University, and was not AI-generated. Following last year’s advancement in the Laboratory for Microsystems Technology –– creating an […]
2026 Annual Report
Following another year of instrumental success across our facilities, programing, and research, please view the Photonics Center 2026 Annual Report.
Upcoming Events
The Photonics Center's 28th Annual Symposium: Computational Optics
Photonics Center 2026 Symposium
Be sure to RSVP for the Photonics Center Symposium on "Computational Optics," taking place November 19, 2026!
In the Media
Recent Publications & Grants
