Viktor Podolskiy

Viktor Podolskiy is a Professor and Assistant Chair in the Department of Physics and Applied Physics at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he also serves as Graduate Coordinator. He is affiliated with the Kennedy College of Sciences and leads the Multiscale Electromagnetics Group. His research focuses on theoretical and computational photonics of metamaterials, plasmonics, and complex media.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Physics, New Mexico State University (2002)
• M.S. in Computer Science, New Mexico State University (2001)
• B.S. in Applied Mathematics and Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (1998)

Research Interests: Podolskiy's work spans computational photonics, metamaterials design, plasmonic systems, and nanoscale light manipulation. He develops theoretical frameworks for sub-diffraction light propagation, active plasmonics, and machine learning applications in photonics. His group specializes in multiscale electromagnetic phenomena in complex nanostructures.

Publication Trends: Recent research demonstrates strong emphasis on machine-learning-enhanced photonics, photonic funnels for subwavelength light control, metamaterial-based detectors, and nonlinear optical phenomena in nanostructures. Work consistently bridges theoretical fundamentals with device applications in sensing, imaging, and light manipulation.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow, Optical Society (OSA)
• Fellow, American Physical Society (APS)

Advising and Grants: Has supervised 12+ Ph.D. students and secured significant funding including NSF grants on active plasmonics and metamaterials, ARO projects on nonlocal plasmonics, and DARPA/AFOSR initiatives on infrared metamaterials. Current research is supported by multiple federal agencies focusing on nanophotonics and machine learning integration.

Laboratories: Leads the Multiscale Electromagnetics Group specializing in light interaction with nanostructures. The group maintains strong computational capabilities and collaborates with UML's Photonics Center for experimental validation. Research addresses fundamental limits of light manipulation and practical device implementations.