Rachel Morgan
I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Photonics Devices Group at the Politecnico di Milano. I am working on photonic integrated circuit design and architecture analysis for lidar applications.
I was previously a graduate student in the Space Telecommunications, Astronomy, and Radiation Lab in the Aero Astro department at MIT. My PhD thesis was on integrated photonics design and demonstration for the mid-wave infrared wavelength range (graduated Summer 2023). I received a BS in Aerospace Engineering and in Physics from MIT in 2018, a MS in Aerospace Engineering from MIT in 2020, and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering in 2023.
I am interested in advanced optics and integrated photonics technology for space applications. I have research and internship experience in the design and test of integrated photonics components, astronomical instrumentation, laser communications, and space systems engineering at MIT, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
This background image is from the launch of the Deformable Mirror Demonstration Mission CubeSat, a satellite I worked on in grad school! Learn more about the mission and my other research projects under the "research" tab!