Anyone here with a physics Ph.D that specialized in Optics?

[TroyElliott]

Hey everyone! I was wondering what the job prospects in academia and outside academia were like for people who have a physics Ph.D's specializing in optics? Were there a good number of STEM related choices or was it just as difficult as any other speciality? Thanks!

 

[Andy Resnick]

I'm doing alright.

Having training in optics gave me (and continues to give me) an easy way to differentiate myself from other Physics PhDs. Also, I've found that a solid background in optics has allowed me to productively collaborate with a wide range of scientists and engineers.

To be sure, finding a 'decent job' (an ill-defined term, but...) is still hard.

 

[TroyElliott]

Thanks for the reply! Have you mainly stuck to pure academia or have you also worked in the private sector after earning your PhD? I am in a tough spot right now, I will soon graduate with an EE and math degree plus physics minor and have been torn between going for a physics PhD or heading right into industry as an EE and studying physics as a hobby. So from your experience would you say that optics is just as competitive to land a long term research/academic position as any other physics speciality, essentially?

 

[Andy Resnick]

I got out of academia after my PhD- my (engineering) friends all got jobs instead of grad school, I was jealous of their salaries, and didn't want to spend another few years in an underpaid postdoc position. After a few years, I missed being in a lab environment and worked my way back into academia (which is where I am now- recently tenured Physics prof).

I agree with your statement "optics is just as competitive to land a long term research/academic position as any other physics speciality", with the caveat that ultimately, you have to be excellent and your expertise relevant to what academia and/or industry is looking for.