Center for Advanced Studies in Computational Optics

The Center for Advanced Research in Computational Optics, directed by Dr. Isaac August, was founded and inaugurated in 2022. It is hosted within the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Sami Shamoon College of Engineering (SCE), Beer Sheva campus.

The Center serves as a multidisciplinary research hub operating at the intersection of optical physics, computational imaging, and data-driven algorithms. Its core vision is the development of next-generation imaging systems that extend the limits of conventional imaging and enable compact, intelligent, and information-rich sensing solutions.

Research activities at the Center focus on extracting rich physical, geometric, and temporal information from complex scenes. Key areas include spectral and hyperspectral imaging, polarimetric sensing, and novel paradigms for optical coding and measurement. These approaches enable accurate characterization, classification, and identification of materials, objects, and surfaces based on their intrinsic physical properties.

The Center is supported by a state-of-the-art experimental infrastructure that enables both advanced system development and the fabrication of custom optical hardware. The laboratory is equipped with liquid crystal components, high-precision electronic instrumentation, and a broad range of optical sensors. Current systems include polarimetric imaging platforms, multispectral and hyperspectral cameras operating across the visible spectrum, as well as automated scanning systems for controlled and high-precision data acquisition.

Beyond hardware development, the Center integrates advanced computational frameworks for signal and image processing. These include Fourier Transform methods, Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT), Wavelet Transforms, Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT), dimensionality reduction techniques such as PCA and SVD, and geometric representations such as Curvelets and Shearlets. The research is strongly grounded in Compressed Sensing theory, enabling reconstruction of high-dimensional scenes from partial and undersampled measurements.

These signal processing frameworks are tightly integrated with modern deep learning architectures, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Spiking Neural Networks (SNN), and hybrid models, enabling real-time interpretation and decoding of complex optical data.

The Center’s research spans applications in biomedical imaging, remote sensing, and consumer electronics. Flagship projects include event-based hyperspectral imaging systems reconstructed using SNN-based models, ultra-sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) systems operating at the single-photon level, and compact spectral imaging devices designed for integration into mobile platforms such as smartphones.

In parallel, the Center conducts fundamental theoretical research addressing physical limits of resolution, system noise, and measurement uncertainty, ensuring a rigorous connection between applied system development and foundational theory.

Researchers at the Center are supported through competitive research funding from multiple national and institutional funding bodies, including the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Science, as well as additional competitive research grants and external funding sources. This diversified funding structure enables sustained advancement of both theoretical and applied research programs.

The Center’s researchers regularly publish in leading international journals, including Laser & Photonics Reviews, Optics Express, Materials, and Sensors, and present their work at major international conferences such as SPIE conferences, Optica events, and the WHISPERS workshop series.

The Center actively fosters collaboration with international and local researchers, as well as postdoctoral fellows. It also offers research opportunities for outstanding undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph.D. students within funded applied research projects.

Candidates with strong backgrounds in signal processing, machine learning, image processing, or computational optics, and proficiency in Python, MATLAB, IDL, are invited to apply by submitting a CV, academic transcripts, and recommendation letters to the Center Director, Dr. Isaac August (isaacau@ac.sce.ac.il).