Title: Bio-Medical Optical Designer of Sequential and Non-Sequential Silicon-Based Optical Systems (Retired)
Company: Rockley Photonics
Location: Fairfield, California, United States
Zheng-Wu Li, PhD, retired bio-medical optical designer of sequential and non-sequential silicon-based optical systems at Rockley Photonics, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Engineers for dedication, achievements, and leadership in optical engineering.
With nearly three and a half decades of experience to his credit, Dr. Li has established a successful career in optical engineering, specializing in optical design. He excelled as a bio-medical optical designer of sequential and non-sequential silicon-based optical systems at Rockley Photonics from 2021 until his retirement in 2023. Currently, he serves as a consultant at BrightestTECH, a role he has held since 2023. His experience also includes optical lens and lighting illumination design engineer at Byton/Sense Photonics automobile startup from 2018 to 2021, lens designer at an AR startup and wafer scanner industry in 2017 to 2018, lens designer at Microsoft in 2017, and staff optical engineer at Qualcomm Technologies Inc. from 2007 to 2016. He also served as a staff engineer at KLA-Tencor Corporation from 2006 to 2007, senior optical engineer at New Wave Research from 2004 to 2006, staff optical engineer at Avanex/Lamdaflex from 2000 to 2004, and senior optical engineer at InViso from 1998 to 2000. Additionally, he has authored two articles in Optics Letters and a paper in Physical Review Letters, and volunteers at his local church.
Laying a solid educational foundation, Dr. Li earned a PhD in laser and optical engineering from The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester in 1989. Reflecting on his path, he relocated to the United States to pursue a higher level of education, greatly enriching his professional journey. Additionally, he and his wife adopted their daughter from China 25 years ago, and she is now on her path to earning a medical degree. As an immigrant, he has a strong drive to seize the opportunities available in the United States, which he felt were less accessible in China, and the high-tech environment in the United States provided him with the platform to excel in his field. His passion for optical design, which he describes as a combination of art and math, has also played a significant role in his achievements. He finds great enjoyment in his work, never feeling overwhelmed or stressed. While he is committed to meeting goals and tasks, he emphasizes that his passion for the work itself has always made the journey enjoyable.
Throughout his career, Dr. Li has made many significant contributions to the field of optics by designing a variety of innovative lenses and optical systems. Noteworthy achievements include the development of advanced silicon-cutting equipment and specialized lenses for automobiles. He takes great pride in his two publications in Optics Letters and one in Physical Review Letters. Each of these works presented significant challenges but contributed to new discoveries in the field of optics. He attributes his success to his unwavering persistence in overcoming obstacles. Looking to the future, he envisions advancing semiconductor technology and aims to study and develop cutting-edge semiconductor equipment, with a particular focus on very short wavelengths such as extreme ultraviolet. This area presents significant challenges in equipment and optical design. Recently, he was approached by a professional from the semiconductor industry, and after an insightful discussion, they decided to collaborate on this project.
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