Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
https://sites.google.com/view/randtek/home Our present product-focus is on the use of AI / Machine Learning for the following: Space & Astronomy Applications, Star Tracking, Adaptive Optics, Large-Parameter Free-Form Optical Design. We are also a consulting company. We are located near Los Angeles. We have helped companies in product development on related to: AR/VR. Imaging Optics / Illumination / Stray Light for surgical microscopes. Stray light analysis/suppression for space sensors. Transparent/Conductive windows for autonomous vehicle LiDAR. We will consult pro bono (free), if your subject is interesting and technically well-grounded, but you just haven’t had the time, money, or manpower to look into it in depth. The most meaningful things we have worked on began with pro bono work. We do everything from fundamental physics to manufacturing management, to business development. We are U.S. Citizens.
We help solve engineering and manufacturing problems. We help with business development plans in the SoCal/Los Angeles area. We offer consulting services in the areas of materials engineering, optics, and applied physics, using simulations, custom codes, optical design, data reduction, materials analysis, and literature summary. The problems we have been given have ranged from the "completely standard", where someone skilled was just needed to do the work, to the "difficult and arcane", where no solution, explanation, or approach had existed, prior. We help capture production processes by generating documentation within quality systems, then provide training to staff. We assist attorneys and companies with patent applications, claims, and the many related specifics of the process. We have assisted companies in product liability lawsuits as an independent analyst, finding the root cause. We are US Citizens. My own technical background is varied: Astronomy, Physics, Materials Science, Optics, Nanotechnology, Multi-Physics Simulation, Focal Plane Arrays, Rugates, Programming, Ferroelectric-Pyroelectric and Bolometric Sensors, Optical Coatings, Optical Materials, Optical Thin Films, Electro-Optics, Fiber Optics, R&D and Project Supervision, Marketing, Sales, Nanotechnology, Product Liability Advisement, Technical Literature Survey, Electrochemistry, Surface Modification. Molecular Modeling & Electronic Structure Calculation using density functional theory codes such as CASTEP, Gaussian, dmol3. Computational mechanics modeling with DEFORM, Simufact, Geomagic, and iSight. Some Ansys. Use of MATLAB and Python for data manipulation and specialized calculations. Mathematica and MathCad. C++. Zemax, FRED, Code V, LightTools for optical system design. RSoft, Lumerical FDTD, and LightTrans beam prop calculations. Multi-physics & optics/RF Comsol. Thin film filter design codes TF Calc, Essential Macloed, Filmstar, and the ellipsometric code W-VASE.
My role is to manage and expand an AS9100D compliant production line, and transition from research to production on all products and programs. The products are star trackers, deformable mirrors and beam directors for HEL.
I teach the astronomy lecture courses at VC. 65+ students. For any students reading this profile and considering my course, understand that Astronomy is Physics, with only a minor connection to the Horoscope.
Reporting to the CTO, CEO, and VP of Business Development, I now assist with strategic and tactical planning and internal project initiation. Heavy customer engagement with Tier 1 commercial businesses, Defense Prime contractors, start-ups, DoE and DoD research agencies. Conference talks and new business development at shows, workshops, roadmap sessions, and the booth. Proposal preparation. I am now involved in new business development activity involving optical transceivers for telecom and datacom/High Performance Computing and supercomputing. This position also involves the initiation of innovative research with the DoD and DoE, with a concentration on optics and materials.
Leading a group of Ph.D., M.S., B.S. level engineers. Electrochemical surface modification and anodization experiments being performed at both the UCLA California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) and the UCLA Nanoelectronics Fabrication Facility (NanoLab). Simulation of precision bulk-metal forming operations with fine-grained materials using FEA modeling simulation packages such as DEFORM, Simufact, Comsol Mutliphysics, Abaqus. Geometric evaluations with Geomagic, and multi-code optimization using iSight. Optical beam propagation computations with RSOFT BeamProp, Fred, Zemax, FDTD Lumerical, and MATLAB scripts. Set-up of a electrochemical anodization coatings lab, and a metallography laboratory. Generation of flow-stress curves for multiple materials, and creation of flow stress fitting functions for materials showing yield-point drops and tension-compression asymmetry as feeds into the metal forming simulation. Conceive, manage, execute experiments and tests of alternate materials for our processes. Quantum mechanical material property calculations with Materials Studio/CASTEP for the study of oxidation. DoD business development, fund-seeking, proposal preparation, and program management (DARPA and SBIR’s), and commercial business development.