Optical Engineering Consultant David Schaafsma

Dr. David Schaafsma, PhD has over 25 years of experience in Optical Systems, Optical Physics, Microscopy & Spectroscopy, Optical Materials, Lasers, Optoelectronics, Sensors, Data Acquisition, Product Development. sales, marketing, business development, operations, and management at small businesses, at government laboratories, and as an independent consultant. Before founding Applied Optical Engineering, Dr. Schaafsma was the director of Sensor Technology at Tetra Tech Data Systems (later Ipitek) and was responsible for all R&D, product development, and commercial activity in fiber optic sensors, and also worked on numerous projects involving fiber communications and embedded systems. As a Senior Scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory, he made the first chalcogenide fused fiber coupler and achieved the first results with single-mode IR-transmitting fiber in mid-IR scanning near-field microscopy. At the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Dr. Schaafsma's research focused on Quantum Optics and Fundamental Metrology of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers, and included the construction of a confocal fluorescence system with a noise floor of 4 photons. As a Senior Characterization Engineer at Bandgap Technology Corp., he oversaw the production of compound semiconductor devices such as surface acoustic wave (SAW) modulators, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), solar cells, and laser diodes for an industry which was then in its infancy. Dr. Schaafsma holds two patents, a near-field optical microscope with infrared fiber probe and an infrared optical fiber coupler. He has spoken about many topics at professional venues such as conferences, to potential clients and corporate officers of multi-billion dollar companies, as well as to classes of students. Dr. Schaafsma is also a noted authored having written numerous publications in his areas of expertise. Areas of Expertise

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