William Renninger, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Institute of Optics, Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester

 

2026 Experimental Physics Investigator

William Renninger, Ph.D.
Credit: J. Adam Fenster, University of Rochester
 

Research Description

Light can interact with sound waves inside materials in ways that make it possible to delay signals, measure motion, and probe the internal behavior of matter. But these interactions are usually governed by strict physical conditions that limit which vibrations can participate and therefore restrict the range of devices and measurements researchers can build. William Renninger’s research aims to loosen those constraints by using the size, shape, and confinement of light to create new forms of light-sound coupling. His project will test that idea across integrated waveguides, surface acoustic wave devices, and bulk crystals operated at low temperature, with experiments designed to reach mechanical modes that are usually difficult to access and control.

Research Impact

Renninger’s work could broaden how researchers use light to control and measure motion in systems that are currently hard to reach. If successful, it could yield better tools for optical signal processing, new ways to map hidden defects and energy loss inside materials, and experimental platforms for testing how large mechanical systems behave near the limits of quantum physics. By linking device engineering, precision measurement, and basic physics in one program, the work could open practical and scientific uses for light-sound interactions across optics, materials science, and quantum research.

 
 

related links

Experimental Physics Investigators Initiative Science University of Rochester, Department of Physics and Astronomy Back

Education

Ph.D., Cornell University 

B.S., Cornell University

Affiliated Investigators