Hardware Podcasts

S4E35 Shawn Patterson | Interferometers, Lasers, & Not Panicking

Being an Engineer · 15 Sept 2023 · 55m · Episode 35

What this episode covers

Shawn Patterson, an electro-optical engineer with experience at startups like Summit Technology, Phase Shift Technology, and Compound Photonics, discusses his career path from CAD drafting to laser system design. He explains the physics of solid-state lasers, the challenges of building interferometers for semiconductor metrology, and the critical importance of thermal management and precise alignment in optical systems. Patterson shares specific engineering failures, including a misaligned interferometer prototype and the difficulties of developing underwater fiber-optic laser arrays, while emphasizing the value of calm leadership and knowledge retention in engineering teams.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Summit Technology, Phase Shift Technology, Compound Photonics, NP Photonics, Texas Instruments
Products
Fizbo
Tools
AutoCAD, SolidWorks
Also
Rustic Rock Music

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