Mark Siemens

Dr. Mark Siemens is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Denver. He holds a B.S. in Engineering Physics from the Colorado School of Mines (2003) and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Colorado Boulder (2009), where he conducted research at JILA. His research focuses on condensed matter physics and optics/photonics, particularly using ultrashort laser pulses to study semiconductor electron transport and exploring topological effects in optical vortices. He has developed advanced microscopy techniques like STED microscopy and pioneered studies on vortex dynamics in light. Dr. Siemens also directs the Undergraduate Research Center and is affiliated with The Optical Society and American Physical Society.

Education:

• B.S., Engineering Physics, Colorado School of Mines (2003)
• Ph.D., Physics, University of Colorado Boulder (2009)

Research Interests:

• Optical vortex dynamics and interactions
• Laser-based semiconductor characterization
• Super-resolution microscopy
• Quantum fluid phenomena in light
• Orbital angular momentum applications

Advising & Grants:

• Directed the Undergraduate Research Center since 2018
• Recipient of NSF CAREER Award for nanostructure photonics research (2016)

Labs & Collaborations: Collaborates with JILA and NIST on advanced optical systems, and leads development of open-source microscopy tools (e.g., OpenSTED).