from left to right: Peigang Chen, Yuheng Chen

Two PhD candidates from Purdue University’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering have been awarded prestigious scholarships from SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, for their potential contributions to the field.

Peigang Chen received the 2025 John Kiel Scholarship, which recognizes students for their promise in optics, photonics, or a related discipline. Chen is conducting groundbreaking research in quantum photonics under the guidance of Vladimir Shalaev, Bob and Anne Burnett Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Chen’s work focuses on developing ultra-bright solid-state single-photon emitters using plasmonic nanostructures for scalable quantum computing, as well as creating all-optical single-photon detectors and modulators for quantum information processing. As president of the Purdue SPIE Student Chapter, Chen organizes seminars and networking events to foster knowledge exchange in photonics. His goal is to bridge fundamental research with practical applications that will shape the future of quantum computing and sensing.

“Being awarded the SPIE John Kiel Scholarship is such an exciting honor that truly means a lot to me,” said Chen. “It's incredibly rewarding to see our quantum photonics research recognized - especially when we're working to transform cutting-edge science into revolutionary technologies. Huge thanks to my advisors Prof. Vladimir Shalaev, Prof. Alexandra Boltasseva, Prof. Alexander Kildishev and Prof. Tongcang Li for their guidance, to my amazing lab mates, and to SPIE for this incredible support. This scholarship fuels my passion to keep innovating and exploring the limitless possibilities of our research!”

Yuheng Chen has been awarded the 2025 Optical Design and Engineering Scholarship. He conducts research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, physics, and nanotechnology in the joint research group of Vladimir Shalaev, Bob and Anne Burnett Distinguished Professor of ECE, Alexandra Boltasseva, Ron and Dotty Garvin Tonjes Distinguished Professor of ECE, and Alexander V. Kildishev, Professor of ECE. Chen leads the affiliated NanoML team, comprising approximately 10 Purdue graduate and undergraduate researchers, and he’s also the president of the Purdue IEEE Photonics Society Student Chapter His work encompasses AI-driven inverse design of photonic and quantum devices, exploration of generative machine-learning models for photonic applications, and electromagnetic simulation of nanodevices.

“Being awarded this scholarship is a powerful recognition of my efforts in optical design after focusing on this field for years,” said Chen. “It affirms the value of my research and motivates me to continue contributing to the advancement of the field.”

SPIE, founded in 1955, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology through conferences, exhibitions, publications, and career-building opportunities. This year, SPIE is awarding $323,000 in scholarships to 74 outstanding student members worldwide. Recipients were selected by the SPIE Scholarship Committee based on their potential to contribute to optics, photonics, or related fields.

More information about the 2025 SPIE scholarship recipients is available on the SPIE website.