Hello, I am Aaron.
System Architect at KLA

I am a System Architect at KLA, based in Silicon Valley, where I lead the development of the imaging path for the company's flagship wafer inspection system, the 39xx.

I have dedicated my career to advancing impactful scientific and engineering breakthroughs through optical technologies. My commitment to innovation has resulted in a patent, over 20 publications, and recognition as a Cornell Mong Fellow, Hong Kong Scholar and Hong Kong IT Scholar.

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Who am I?

I am someone who thrives on curiosity, adaptability, and a genuine love for learning.

With a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (Applied Physics) from Cornell University, I focused on advancing optical imaging technologies. I have always been driven by a passion for creating innovative solutions to impact and benefit many people, which has guided much of my academic and professional journey.

I also enjoy playing the piano and oboe, going to the gym, and diving into a good book.

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Education

2022
Cornell University (PhD)
Biomedical Engineering/Applied Physics/Neuroscience
2017
The University of Hong Kong (MPhil)
Electrical and Electronic Engineering
2015
The University of Hong Kong (BBA)
Marketing
2014
The University of Hong Kong (BEng)
Biomedical Engineering (1st Class Honours, Dean's List)
2022-present
Senior Optical System Architect
KLA. Milpitas, CA
2017-2022
PhD Student
Cornell University. Ithaca, NY
2015-2017
MPhil Student
The University of Hong Kong. Hong Kong

Experience

With over 10 years of experience specializing in the design and optimization of optical systems, I bring a blend of academic and industry expertise. Currently, I work at KLA as an Optical System Architect. My Ph.D. was mentored by Dr. Chris Xu, the Director of Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University and a pioneer in multi-photon microscopy. My Master thesis was guided by Dr. Kevin Tsia, Director of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Hong Kong and a renowned leader in ultrafast imaging.

This enabled me to make contributions in optics, including wafer optical inspection, scattering biological tissue imaging, ultrafast single-cell imaging, and spectroscopic analysis. My work spans from deep UV (~190 nm) to NIR (~2,000 nm).

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Portfolio

Patent: Optical pulse generator and method

This patent discloses an optical beamlet-array generator designed to multiply the imaging speed of an optical scanning system.

Patent

Presentation award: Deep and wide three-photon imaging

Presentation of Better penetration at longer wavelength. Winner of the Frontiers in Neurophotonics Highlights video contest.

Video

Interview with Optica

I’m excited to share my interview with Optica at CLEO! It was a great opportunity to present in the post-deadline section and discuss my work.

Interview

A large field-of-view, single-cell-resolution two- and three-photon microscope for deep and wide imaging

It is featured in MIT Technology Review. The Review

We have improved the fluorescence signal generation efficiency of three-photon microscopy, achieving an imaging field two order of magnitudes larger than traditional three-photon microscopes in deep brain regions with cellular resolution.

Paper

Multiphoton imaging of neural structure and activity in Drosophila through the intact cuticle

“This study reports a way to record neural structures and activity in behaving Drosophila for up to 12 hours, without removing the cuticle. This opens the way to longer and more intact recordings, including post-imaging recovery of the flies.” eLife editor

Paper

Spatially resolved measurements of ballistic and total transmission in microscale tissue samples from 450 nm to 1624 nm

It is featured in Zemax Case study. The Case study

We built a simple and versatile spectrometer to measure tissue ballistic and total transmission with customizable wavelength range, spatial resolution, and sample sizes.

Paper

Contact

Email

aaronmokty@gmail.com