Paul Planken

Paul Planken is a Professor and Group Leader at the Advanced Research Centre for NanoLithography (ARCNL) in Amsterdam. He holds expertise in terahertz technology, laser physics, and optoelectronics. Previously, he was the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Professor at Delft University of Technology (2008) and conducted postdoctoral research at AT&T Bell Laboratories (1990s). His career includes work at FELIX, a free-electron-laser facility, focusing on far-infrared semiconductor experiments.

Education:

• MSc in Physics: Leiden University (The Netherlands) - Light-Induced Drift in Na-Noble Gas Mixtures
• PhD: University of Amsterdam - Generation and Application of Mid-Infrared Picosecond Laser Pulses

Research interests span terahertz pulse generation/detection, light-induced damage mechanisms, and photoacoustic imaging. His work bridges fundamental physics with applications in nanolithography and materials science.

Awards:

• NWO VICI laureate
• Fellow of Optica (OSA)

Labs/Teams: Leads the Light-Matter Interaction group at ARCNL, collaborating on EUV plasma processes and advanced metrology technologies.