Our team
Meet the principal investigators, researchers, and students of PhotonicsAI Lab at Yerevan State University.
Principal investigators
Dr. Mushegh Rafayelyan
Head of the Center for Optics and Photonics
Head of PhotonicsAI Lab
Research connects optics and artificial intelligence, spanning optical computing, beam shaping, light–matter interactions, responsive materials, microfabrication, computational imaging, and biophotonics.Read moreRead less
He studies how structured light interacts with structured matter, spanning beam shaping and spatial light modulation, optical computing and hybrid AI–photonics systems, nonlinear light–matter interactions, liquid crystal and soft-matter photonics, optical microfabrication and integrated photonics, optical communications, computational imaging, and biophotonics. His work connects fundamental optical physics with machine learning, hardware-in-the-loop optimization, and AI-driven experimental platforms, with an emphasis on translating research into technological applications.
Dr. Tatevik Sarukhanyan
Principal investigator
Research focuses on laser generation in liquid crystal systems, light–matter interactions, optical computing, and optical microfabrication. Her work connects liquid crystal photonics with the design and fabrication of optical structures.
Dr. Tetiana Orlova
Principal investigator
Leads research on hierarchically ordered complex soft materials, combining additive manufacturing with self-assembly. Her group explores functional liquid crystal systems, optical microfabrication, and new materials and additives for light-responsive photonics.
Dr. Sergey Shvetsov
Principal investigator
Research focuses on nonlinear liquid crystal optics, photosensitive systems, and optical defects. His work also includes twisted nematic liquid crystals and their use for beam shaping and reconfigurable optical control.
Dr. Khachatur Julfakyan
Principal investigator
Works on materials chemistry, biophotonics, and AI-guided experimentation, including lyotropic liquid crystal platforms and autonomous photobiomodulation screening.Read moreRead less
Works at the interface of materials chemistry, biophotonics, and AI-guided experimental research. His work includes lyotropic liquid crystal platforms and the development of an autonomous laboratory for photobiomodulation screening with biologically active compounds.
Dr. Vahram Grigoryan
Principal investigator
Research focuses on beam shaping and spatial modulation of polychromatic light using liquid crystals, including photoalignment and reconfigurable polarization and phase control.Read moreRead less
Research focuses on beam shaping and spatial modulation of polychromatic light using liquid crystals. His work includes photopatterned twisted nematics, reconfigurable control of polarization and optical phase, and the generation of broadband vector beams through photoalignment and geometric-phase optics.
Researchers and postdoctoral fellows
Afshin Azarpour
Postdoctoral fellow
Works on light-valve systems and complex light–matter interactions, exploring how these systems can support new optical computing architectures.
Grigor Movsisyan
Researcher
Works on optical microfabrication, with a focus on laser ablation of substrates and indium tin oxide (ITO) patterning.
Lilit Melikyan
Master’s graduate
Holds a master’s degree and is interested in linear and nonlinear optics, laser physics, photonics, and optical computing.
Mher Martirosyan
Researcher
Completed his master’s degree at Yerevan State University, with a thesis on optical resonators with acousto-optical modulation. His research uses imaging to study turbulent environments.
PhD students
Hayk Harutyunyan
PhD student
Research interests include liquid crystals, light–matter interactions, and nonlinear optics.
Nikita Marinin
PhD student
Research interests include nonlinear optics, neural networks, and biophysics. He holds a master’s degree from Moscow State University.
Aleksandr Hayrapetyan
PhD student
Works on laser physics, nonlinear physics, and machine learning, including deep learning applications in physics.
Aram Sargsyan
PhD student
Works on optical computing, physics-inspired deep learning, and optoelectronic optimization problems, connecting machine learning with optical hardware.
Hayk Mikayelyan
PhD student
Research interests include computational optics, biophysics, and machine learning. He completed his master’s studies at Yerevan State University and Université de Bourgogne.
Darina Darmoroz
PhD student
Conducts doctoral research at PhotonicsAI Lab.
Alexander Osminin
PhD student
A chemist working with Tetiana Orlova on the synthesis of new materials and additives for liquid crystals, including light-sensitive molecular motors and azo compounds.
Master’s students
Hrayr Hakobyan
Master’s student
Studies at Yerevan State University and works on optical imaging within the lab’s research programme.
Mariam Mkrtichyan
Master’s student
Research focuses on lyotropic liquid crystal systems and their potential for bio-oriented applications.
Anna Mikayelyan
Master’s student
Studies data science at the American University of Armenia. Her research aims to automate and optimize the microfabrication pipeline, from structure design and simulation to printing and evaluation.
Nune Deghoyan
Master’s student
Research focuses on chiral and topological self-organization in lyotropic liquid crystals under controlled chiral boundary conditions.
Ani Shakhyan
Master’s student
Studies at the American University of Armenia and works on reservoir computing using photonic systems.
Mane Mkhitaryan
Master’s student
Research interests include optical computing and machine learning.
Narek Meloyan
Master’s student
Studies at the American University of Armenia. Interests include AI-driven laboratory automation and architectures that connect general-purpose AI, specialized scientific agents, and reliable instrument control.
Edgar Arzumanyan
Master’s student
Studies at the Institute of Physics, Yerevan State University, and is a member of PhotonicsAI Lab.
Edvard Grigoryan
Master’s student
Studies optics at the Institute of Physics, Yerevan State University. His research focuses on beam shaping using liquid crystals.
Bachelor’s students
Mane Altunyan
Bachelor’s student
Studies Data Processing in Physics and Artificial Intelligence at the Institute of Physics, Yerevan State University. Her research focuses on light-induced structural transformations in liquid crystals.
Tatevik Brsoyan
Bachelor’s student
Studies at the Institute of Physics, Yerevan State University. Her interests include data processing in physics, artificial intelligence, and liquid crystals.
Sona Harutyunyan
Bachelor’s student
Studies at the Institute of Physics, Yerevan State University. Works on optical microfabrication and two-photon polymerization (2PP) in Tetiana Orlova’s research group.
Vahan Sargsyan
Bachelor’s student
Studies at the Institute of Physics, Yerevan State University. Works on optical microfabrication and two-photon polymerization (2PP) in Tetiana Orlova’s research group.
Ani Arakelyan
Bachelor’s student
Studies at the Institute of Physics, Yerevan State University. Works with Khachatur Julfakyan on lyotropic liquid crystal systems.
Mari Hayrapetyan
Bachelor’s student
Studies at the Institute of Physics, Yerevan State University. Works with Sergey Shvetsov on twisted nematic liquid crystals and their use for beam shaping.