About Me

I am many things.

Currently, the most significant is that of being a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh's department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where I am earning my doctorate in applied physics. My research is based around materials processing and fabrication of optical devices using an ultrafast laser.

 

I am also a member of the Explorers Club of Pittsburgh as well as an avid amateur photographer (please note: this is not my latest work - check back for updated content).

 

Check back later for a list of current publications, awards, and other information about me.You can also find me on Facebook.

 

 

Curriculum Vitae

Education:

  • PhD in Electrical Engineering                         Fall 2007 - Present
    University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA
  • MSc in Electrical Engineering                Completed: Summer 2007
    University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA
  • BSc in Electrical Engineering                   Completed: Spring 2003
    University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

 

Employment:

  • Graduate Research Assistant                    Spring 2003 - Present
    University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA
- Fabrication of integrated photonic devices using ultrafast laser processing
- Micro-raman analysis of femtosecond-laser modified crystalline materials
- Thermal poling of femtosecond-laser modified silica glass
- Development of robust fiber sensors for high-temperature fuel cell and gas turbine applications

  • Electrical Engineering Intern                   Spring 2003 - Fall 2006
    GE Transportation Systems, Grove City PA
- Life Cycle Cost analysis of diesel engine manufacturing processes and optimization
- Booked over 150k in SVCP savins (through LCC projects)

Publications:

  1. A. Benayas, D. Jaque, B. McMillen, and K. P. Chen, "High repetition rate UV ultrafast laser inscription of buried channel waveguides in Sapphire: Fabrication and flourescence imaging via ruby R lines", Opt. Express, Vol. 17, no. 12, pp. 10076, 2009
  2. H. An, S. Fleming, B. McMillen, and K. P. Chen, "Second-Order Optical Nonlinearity in Thermally Poled Silica Waveguides Written by Femtosecond Laser Pulses," in Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/International Quantum Electronics Conference, OSA Technical Digest (CD) (Optical Society of America, 2009), paper CFT6.
  3. B. McMillen, K. P. Chen, D. Jaque, H. An, and S. Fleming, "Second Harmonic and Raman Imaging of Ultrafast Laser Written LiTaO3 Waveguides," in Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/International Quantum Electronics Conference, OSA Technical Digest (CD) (Optical Society of America, 2009), paper CThP1.
  4. B. McMillen, K. P. Chen, D. Jaque, "Microstructural imaging of high repetition rate ultrafast laser written LiTa03 waveguides", Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 94, no. 8, pp. 081106, 2009
  5. B. McMillen, K. P. Chen, H. An, S. Fleming, R. B. Balili, and D. Snoke, "Waveguiding and electro-optic characteristics of three-dimensional wavguides in LiTa03 written by high-repetition rate ultrafast laser", Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 93, no. 11, pp. 111106, 2008
  6. H. An, S. Fleming, B. Mcmillen, K. P. Chen, and D. Snoke, "Thermal poling induced second-order nonlinearity in femtosecond-laser-modified fused silica", Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 93, no. 6, pp. 061115, 2008
  7. C. Jewart, K. P. Chen, B. McMillen, M. Bails, S. P. Levitan, J. Canning, and I. V. Avdeev, "Sensitivity Enhancement of fiber Bragg gratings to tranverse stress by using microstructural fibers", Opt. Lett., Vol. 31, no. 15,  pp. 2260-2262, 2006
  8. C. Jewart, B. McMillen, S. K. Cho, and K. P. Chen, "X-Probe flow sensor using self-powered active fiber-Bragg gratings", Sensors and Actuators A, Vol. 127, no. 1, pp. 63-68, 2006
  9. B. McMillen, C. Jewart, M. Buric, W. Xu, Y. Lin, and K. P. Chen, (Cover Story) "Fiber Bragg grating vacuum sensors" Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 87, no. 23, pp. 234101, 2005
  10. K. P. Chen, B. McMillen, and L. Cashdollar, "Self-heated fiber Bragg grating sensors", Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 86, no. 14, pp. 143502, 2005