Mercedeh Khajavikhan

Mercedeh Khajavikhan is Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering-Electrophysics and Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern California. Her research advances photonic technologies through fundamental studies of non-Hermitian physics, topological photonics, and nonlinear optical phenomena.

Professor Khajavikhan's work bridges theoretical concepts and device engineering, developing novel laser systems, optical sensors, and photonic computing platforms. Her group explores quantum and classical light-matter interactions in structured photonic environments, with recent focus on optical thermodynamics, synthetic dimensions, and non-Hermitian topological states.

Research highlights include:

• Nonlinear topological photonics and optical thermodynamics
• PT-symmetric laser systems and exceptional point physics
• Photon gas thermodynamics and condensation phenomena
• Weyl semimetal integrated photonic devices