@MPL, Maximilian Rinke

This technical group, with around 4,000 members, is the largest of 46 groups within Optica. Hill will hold the prestigious position for three years, until 2027. “I hope that this new role allows me to give back more impactfully to the nonlinear optics community and to Optica, especially by improving the support and opportunities available for researchers from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds”, says Hill who has been a keen volunteer at Optica for the past half-decade.

Since 1916, the Optica Scientific Society (formerly OSA, Optical Society of America) has been the world’s leading organization for optics and photonics, uniting and educating scientists, engineers, educators, technicians and business leaders worldwide to foster and promote technical and professional development.

As chair of a technical group at Optica, Hill will be responsible for selecting an executive committee to collaborate with on fostering a sense of community among the members of their group. This will include organising specialised events at relevant conferences such as the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) and the Optica Advanced Photonics Congress, global outreach programs, webinars and founding targeted working groups.

Hill’s research at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light currently focuses on the spontaneous symmetry breaking of light in Kerr resonators with applications in Photonic Integrated Circuits, Metrology, and All-Optical Computing. Hill has received several notable awards for his studies and research.