Motivated by the “Harry Potter” tales and the Disney Channel program “Wizards of Waverly Place,” 7-year-old Sabrina Corsetti fervently announced to her parents one afternoon that she was indeed a wizard.
“My father looked at me and suggested that, if I genuinely wished to be a wizard, I should pursue a career in physics. Physicists are the true wizards of our world,” she remembers.
This discussion remained with Corsetti throughout her formative years, culminating in her choice to double major in physics and mathematics in college, propelling her towards MIT, where she is now a graduate student in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Although her projects may not involve spells or magical wands, Corsetti’s research focuses on a domain that frequently yields remarkable outcomes: integrated photonics. A relatively new discipline, integrated photonics entails constructing computer chips that direct light instead of electrical currents, facilitating compact and scalable solutions for uses ranging from communications to sensing.
Corsetti and her team within the Photonics and Electronics Research Group, under Professor Jelena Notaros, innovate chip-sized devices that enable cutting-edge applications that challenge the limits of optics.
For example, Corsetti and her colleagues created a chip-based 3D printer, compact enough to fit in one’s hand, that generates a reconfigurable beam of light into resin to form solid structures. Such a device could someday allow users to quickly produce personalized, low-cost items on the go.
She also played a role in developing a miniature “tractor beam” that employs a beam of light to capture and manipulate biological particles utilizing a chip. This advancement could assist biologists in examining DNA or exploring disease mechanisms without contaminating tissue samples.
Recently, Corsetti has been engaged in a project in partnership with MIT Lincoln Laboratory, concentrating on trapped-ion quantum computing, which involves manipulating ions to store and process quantum information.
“Our team emphasizes designing devices and systems that engage with the environment. The chance to join a newly formed research group, guided by a supportive and invested advisor, working on projects with significant real-world implications, is what initially attracted me to MIT,” Corsetti states.
Facing challenges
Years prior to stepping into a research lab, Corsetti was a science- and math-oriented child growing up alongside her parents and younger brother in the suburbs of Chicago, where her family runs a structural steel business.
Throughout her youth, her educators nurtured her passion for learning, from her early stages in the Frankfort 157-C school district to her time at Lincoln-Way East High School.
She enjoyed conducting science experiments outside of school and cherished the opportunity to solve intricate puzzles during independent study projects designed by her teachers (such as calculating the mathematics behind the Brachistochrone Curve, the shortest path between two points, famously solved by Isaac Newton).
Corsetti chose to double major in physics and math at the University of Michigan after graduating from high school a year ahead of schedule.
“Upon arriving at the University of Michigan, I was eager to dive in. I registered for the most challenging math and physics track right away,” she remembers.
However, Corsetti soon realized she had taken on more than she could manage. Many of her rigorous undergraduate classes presumed students had prior knowledge from AP physics and math courses, which Corsetti hadn’t undertaken due to her early graduation.
She consulted professors, attended office hours, and attempted to catch up on the lessons she had missed, but felt so demoralized that she considered switching majors. Before committing to a change, Corsetti decided to spend time working in a physics lab to determine if research was the right path for her.
After joining Professor Wolfgang Lorenzon’s lab at Michigan, Corsetti dedicated hours collaborating with graduate students and postdocs on a hands-on project to construct cells that would contain liquid hydrogen for a particle physics experiment.
As they worked together for extended periods to form material into pipes, she bombarded the more experienced students with inquiries about their experiences in the field.
“Being in the lab made me enamored with physics. I genuinely appreciated that atmosphere, working with my hands and as part of a larger team,” she shares.
Her affinity for practical lab work intensified a few years later when she met Professor Tom Schwarz, who became her research advisor for the remainder of her stint at Michigan.
After a fortuitous discussion with Schwarz, she applied for a research program abroad at CERN in Switzerland, where she was mentored by Siyuan Sun. There, she joined thousands of physicists and engineers on the ATLAS project, writing code and optimizing circuits for novel particle-detector technologies.
“That was one of the most defining experiences of my life. When I returned to Michigan, I was ready to devote my career to research,” she says.
Captivated by photonics
Corsetti started applying to graduate schools but opted to transition her focus from the more theoretical realm of particle physics to electrical engineering, with a keen interest in engaging in hands-on chip design and testing research.
She applied to MIT with an emphasis on conventional electronic chip design, so it was unexpected when Notaros reached out to her to arrange a Zoom meeting. At that time, Corsetti was entirely unfamiliar with integrated photonics. However, following one conversation with the new professor, she was captivated.
“Jelena possesses an infectious enthusiasm for integrated photonics,” she remembers. “After those initial discussions, I took a leap of faith.”
Corsetti became a member of Notaros’ team as it was just beginning. Closely guided by a senior student, Milica Notaros, she and her cohort immersed themselves in integrated photonics.
Over the years, she has particularly appreciated the collaborative and tightly-knit atmosphere of the lab, as well as how the work encompasses many facets of the experimental cycle, from design to simulation to analysis to hardware testing.
“An exciting challenge we continually face is the evolving chip-fabrication requirements. There is extensive interaction between new application areas demanding new fabrication technologies, followed by advancements in fabrication methods inspiring further application realms. This cycle consistently propels the field forward,” she explains.
Corsetti intends to remain at the forefront of the field after graduation as an integrated photonics researcher in the industry or at a national laboratory. She hopes to concentrate on trapped-ion quantum computing, which scientists are rapidly advancing toward commercially viable systems, or other high-performance computing applications.
“Accelerated computing is essential for any contemporary research area. It would be exciting and fulfilling to contribute to high-performance computing that could facilitate numerous other intriguing research domains,” she states.
Giving back
In addition to making a significant impact through research, Corsetti is committed to personally enriching the lives of others. Through her involvement with MIT Graduate Hillel, she joined the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Boston, where she participates in the friend-to-friend program.
In this program, which connects adults with disabilities to friends in the community for enjoyable activities like watching movies or painting, Corsetti has found the experience particularly rewarding and uplifting.
She has also valued the opportunity to support, mentor, and connect with her fellow MIT EECS students, drawing on the guidance she has received throughout her academic journey.
“Avoid succumbing to feelings of imposter syndrome,” she advises others. “Keep progressing, seek feedback and assistance, and trust that you will reach a stage where you can make significant contributions to a team.”
Outside of her research, she enjoys playing classical music on the clarinet (her favorite piece being Leonard Bernstein’s renowned overture to “Candide”), reading, and caring for a family of fish in her aquarium.