Dr Donald Barnhart (Founder and Principal Architect)
Donald is the Creator of Optica™ and Founder of Optica Software (a subgroup of Barnhart Optical Research LLC), where he has guided Optica's development for more than 30 years in addition to maintaining an active professional career as a principal-level optical scientist in areas of holography, flow cytometry, augmented reality, and DUV laser technology. He holds both a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, and a PhD in Opto-Mechanical Engineering from Loughborough University, UK. He is a founder of the holographic velocimetry discipline and inventor of the SlideOScope.
Donald has published papers in the fields of holographic velocimetry, holographic recording in bactereorodopsin, and computer generated diffractive optics. While living in England, Donald was once an invited guest to Buckingham Palace where he personally met with Prince Phillip and the Queen of England. He has authored over Six Patents in the fields of holographic velocimetry, augmented reality, automated optical alignment, anamorphic optics (SlideOScope), and speckle reduction. His areas of special interest include speckle reduction, computer generated diffractive optics, augmented reality device development, and of course, the continued development of Optica's optical modeling software tools.
As a graduate student, Donald started development of Optica™ in 1991 to build the first successful holographic camera that takes near-instantaneous three-dimensional volumetric velocimetry measurements at a million points of fluid flows at the University of Illinois. Three years later in 1994, after publishing his ground-breaking results, which appeared on the front cover of Applied Optics, Donald founded Optica Software with the first commercial release of the Optica™ package for Mathematica. In these intervening years, Optica™ has continually enjoyed a modest but loyal following of users in the optical sciences community.
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Donald lives in San Diego, California.
Ann Williamson (Scientific Computing)
After receiving a dual BS in Mathematics and Physics from Tulane University, an MS in Physics from Berkley, and an MS in Computer Science from Stanford, Ann worked at SLAC, JPL, and on the Hubble Space Telescope project before joining Donald at Optica Software in 2005 where she has been an integral part of our team for 16 years. Ann's combined knowledge of optics, physics, and computer science has enabled her work on new Optica features as well as support Optica's customers with all of their technical and commercial questions.
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Ann lives near Chicago Illinois.
Dr David Hayes (EM Analysis and Microwave Optic Design Expert)
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Dr David Hayes is the Founder and retired CEO of Plasma Antennas Limited, where he has guided the company’s research and development of plasma and non-plasma selectable-beam antennas. He holds BSc, M.Phil. and PhD. in Electronics from the University of London. He is the inventor of the catadioptric plasma silicon antenna and has over 40 years' experience in the electronics industry.
David has published papers in the fields of telecommunications, antenna technology, electronic warfare radar and signal processing. He has been the invited speaker at various international conferences. He has authored over 10 international Patents in the fields of antennas, microwave optics and signal processing.
His areas of special interest include silicon plasma antennas, wideband antennas, smart antennas for future wireless networks and RF sensor systems through the efficient electromagnetic modelling of antennas using Optica ray tracing software. David has held a variety of research posts, including Chief Engineer, Radar Systems, Signal Processing and Millimetre Wave Group, Microwave and Optics Division, Roke Manor Research Limited.
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David lives in Cornwall England.
About this website.
This website was designed to reflect many of the same ideas that shaped the development of Optica™ itself: curiosity, exploration, creativity, and a deep appreciation for the beauty of light and the natural world.
Unlike many corporate engineering websites, we chose to create an environment that feels personal, visual, and human. Many of the images, videos, sounds, and visual elements used throughout the site were created or recorded by Dr. Donald Barnhart and close collaborators over many years of scientific work, travel, photography, and artistic exploration.
Several background images featured on the site were photographed on the Barnhart Prairie Nature Preserve near Urbana, Illinois — a long-term ecological restoration project spanning more than two decades. Other imagery was captured during travels, research activities, or generated directly through optical simulations created with Optica™ itself.
The visual design of this website intentionally combines science, engineering, art, and atmosphere. In some cases, ambient sounds and imagery have been included simply to create moments of calm reflection within an otherwise highly technical environment.
We believe innovation is driven not only by technical skill, but also by curiosity, imagination, and sustained attention to the world around us.
Developed by Dr. Donald Barnhart
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Credit for Earth Equinox Image: NOAA.