FiO 2026 – AI in Optical System Design
FiO 2026 – AI in Optical System Design
September 30, 2026 | 2:15–3:15 PM
Frontiers in Optics + Laser Science, Rochester, NY
Register for Frontiers in Optics HERE.
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Discussion Panel: AI in Optical System Design
Discussion Panel: AI in Optical System Design
Artificial intelligence is beginning to change how optical systems are designed, analyzed, and brought from concept to hardware.
This panel brings together perspectives from academia, optical design software, manufacturing, and industry to explore where AI is delivering practical value today.
The discussion will examine AI-assisted and agentic design workflows, automation and optimization, validation of AI-generated results, and the challenges of translating designs into manufacturable optical systems.
Panelists will also discuss engineering judgment, trust, human oversight, and how the role of optical engineers may evolve as AI becomes more integrated into optical and photonic design workflows.
Moderator
Moderator
Majid Ebnali Heidari — SimuTech Group
Panelists
Panelists
Kaan Akşit — University College London
Patrick Augino — Optimax
Ethan Keeler — Synopsys
Ying Xu — Amazon
Jianing Yao - Meta
Hosted and organized by Optica Silicon Valley and Optica Rochester
Tech Day – AI & Automation in Optical Simulation
Tech Day – AI & Automation in Optical Simulation
October 1, 2026 | 8:30 AM–12:30 PM
SimuTech Group – Rochester Area
Following the FiO panel, this hands-on Tech Day will move from discussion to implementation.
The session will demonstrate how AI, automation, optimization, and physics-based simulation can be combined in practical optical and multiphysics engineering workflows.
Participants will see live examples using PyAnsys, optiSLang, Ansys Mechanical, Zemax OpticStudio, and photonic simulation automation.
Resgister here
8:30 - 9:15
AI, Automation & Optimization in Engineering Simulation
AI, Automation & Optimization in Engineering Simulation
An introduction to AI-enabled engineering workflows, simulation automation, and optimization.
The session will cover how Python-based tools and Ansys optiSLang can be used to automate repetitive simulation tasks, explore design spaces, perform sensitivity analysis, and accelerate engineering optimization.
Ethan Keeler — Synopsys
9:15 - 11:00
Automated Multidisciplinary Optical Design and Optimization
Automated Multidisciplinary Optical Design and Optimization
A live engineering workflow combining Ansys optiSLang, Ansys Mechanical and Zemax OpticStudio.
The session will demonstrate how optical and mechanical simulations can be connected and automated for multidisciplinary optimization and validation.
Example applications may include optical system performance, structural and thermal effects, AR/VR systems, and other advanced optical engineering workflows.
Lauren Scheg /Ethan Keeler
11:00 - 11:45
From Atomic Scale to Photonic Chip Design: How AI and Multiscale Simulation Can Accelerate Development
From Atomic Scale to Photonic Chip Design: How AI and Multiscale Simulation Can Accelerate Development
This session demonstrates how simulation can connect atomic-scale material understanding with photonic device design.
Starting in QuantumATK, we will examine the electronic and optical properties of a semiconductor material, including quantities such as band structure, dielectric response, refractive index, and optical absorption. These material-level results can then be used to inform a Lumerical photonic simulation, where their impact on device-level optical behavior can be evaluated.
The demonstration will also explore how AI and automation can help connect these simulation stages, reduce repetitive analysis, and accelerate design exploration.
Majid Ebnali Heidari
11:45 - 12:30
Taking It Further: AI, Photonics, AR/VR and Co-Packaged Optics
Taking It Further: AI, Photonics, AR/VR and Co-Packaged Optics
An open technical discussion on extending AI-enabled simulation workflows to additional applications.
Potential topics include:
Photonic simulation automation
MCP-enabled simulation workflows
AR/VR optical systems
Co-Packaged Optics (CPO)
Multiphysics simulation
Future applications of AI in engineering simulation
Lauren Scheg/ Ethan Keeler/Majid Ebnali Heidari
Panelists/Tech Day Instructors
Ying Xu
Ying Xu
Ying Xu is a Senior Sensor Engineer at Amazon, where she focuses on camera architecture design. A technically deep problem-solver, she specializes in imaging sensor integration, camera systems, and 3D depth sensor design and characterization. Ying holds a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Rochester. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she is passionate about building robust, high-performance hardware at scale by leveraging AI capabilities.
Kaan Akşit
Kaan Akşit
Kaan Akşit is an Associate Professor in the Computer Science department at University College London, where Kaan leads the Computational Light Laboratory. Kaan invents novel optics, hardware, and software for next‑generation computational display and camera technologies. Kaan has more than ten years of experience and specialization in various novel computational display technologies, including auto‑stereoscopic displays, holographic displays and imagers, and near‑eye displays for virtual and augmented reality applications. For more details, please visit his website.
https://www.kaanaksit.com/
Ethan Keeler
Ethan Keeler
Dr. Ethan Keeler is an Application Engineer at Synopsys specializing in optics and photonics simulation technologies, leveraging automation and AI for complex multiphysics workflows. Before joining Synopsys, he served as an IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow and advisor on the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation under Senator Maria Cantwell, where he contributed to technology policy initiatives including the FUTURE of AI Act. Prior to his policy work, he founded and drove early-stage startup innovations aimed at optical design in novel micro-LED fabrication technologies as well as dynamic MEMS control for microscope zoom and focus. Dr. Keeler earned a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, where his research focused on optical MEMS, nanophotonics, and optical sensing for biological cell monitoring.
Patrick Augino
Patrick Augino
Patrick Augino is Director of Quality and Information Systems at Optimax Systems, Inc, a leading U.S. manufacturer of high-precision optics and engineered optical solutions for the aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries. He also serves as Executive Director of the Optics and Electro-Optics Standards Council and the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO/TC 172. Drawing on his expertise in quality management, information systems, and advanced manufacturing, Patrick brings a practical perspective on integrating AI into optical production. He is passionate about driving responsible AI adoption into the optics industry by prioritizing trustworthy data, human oversight, manufacturability, and industry standards.
Majid Ebnali Heidari
Majid Ebnali Heidari
Majid Ebnali Heidari, Ph.D., is Engineering Manager of Optics & Photonics at SimuTech Group, where he leads technical strategy, consulting, and customer engagements across photonics, optical systems, and emerging technologies. His work spans the full development chain—from photonic devices and integrated circuits to optical system architecture, optimization, manufacturability, and multidisciplinary system performance.
With more than 18 years of academic and industry experience, Majid combines deep technical expertise with experience leading engineering teams and helping companies translate early-stage concepts into practical design and development workflows. His current areas of focus include silicon photonics, photonic integrated circuits, co-packaged optics, AR/VR and display systems, miniaturized optics, and AI-enabled engineering. He works across technologies including Zemax OpticStudio, Ansys Lumerical, Speos, and multiphysics platforms to connect component-level physics with system-level performance.
Prior to joining SimuTech, Majid spent 15 years as an Associate Professor in electrical and photonics engineering, publishing more than 80 papers in areas including silicon photonics and slow-light devices. He also serves as Director of Industry and Academia for the Optica Silicon Valley Section, where he brings together industry leaders, researchers, and technology developers around emerging challenges and opportunities in optics and photonics.
Lauren Scheg
Lauren Scheg
Lauren Scheg has 7+ years of experience in optical engineering. As a Senior Staff Optical Engineer at SimuTech Group, Scheg specializes in non-sequential system modeling, illumination design, and biomedical optics. Her primary responsibilities include leading consulting projects focused on optical simulation, solving complex multiphysics challenges, providing tailored mentoring to assist customers in developing and optimizing their optical simulation workflows, and delivering training sessions on Ansys Optics tools.
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