Christina Spaegele

Christina Spaegele

I'm a physicist interested in innovating opto-electronic systems, from nanoscale devices to hardware for AR, robotic sensing and quantum technologies.

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Portrait of Christina Spaegele
About

I'm interested in the intersection between what a system can achieve in principle and what it takes to make it real. That means starting from first principles and physical limits, while keeping fabrication at scale and integration into working systems in view from the beginning. My current interests are augmented reality, robotic sensing and quantum technologies.

I did my PhD in Applied Physics at Harvard with Federico Capasso, studying how light, electrons and quasiparticles interact with matter at the nanoscale. This work spanned metasurfaces, optical cavities and lasers, optical singularities, 2D materials and solid-state quantum sensing. Before that I studied physics at Heidelberg University.

I currently hold a Lead Research Scientist position at Meta Reality Labs, where I lead prototyping efforts with research and engineering teams and manage a portfolio of external research collaborations.

PhD
Applied Physics, Harvard University, 2024
Fields
Nanophotonics, electro-optics, 2D materials, quantum devices, AR optics, robotic sensing
Languages
German, English, French
Research

By controlling photons, electrons and quasiparticles at the nanoscale, we can build sources, detectors and modulators with opto-electrical responses that conventional components can't reach. Below are selected projects from my PhD at Harvard and from my work at Meta Reality Labs. Industry work appears here only where it has been published or presented publicly.

PhD research · Harvard

Nanophotonic control of cavities and lasers

Metasurfaces that shape and stabilize optical cavity modes, from holographic microcavities to wide-angle external-cavity lasers.

More on this work →
PhD research · Harvard

Integrated platforms for 2D materials and quantum devices

Substrate patterning to confine and control excitations in 2D materials and spin ensembles, as a route to new detectors, modulators and quantum sensors.

More on this work →
PhD research · Harvard

Singular optics for advanced sensing

Designing phase and polarization singularities, including topologically protected singularities in four-dimensional parameter space, and using them for sensing.

More on this work →
Meta Reality Labs · published work

Technologies for augmented reality

Components with controlled spatial, temporal and angular response for compact, wide-field optics in next-generation AR glasses.

More on this work →
Experience

Positions

  • 2024 – now

    Meta Reality Labs · Lead Research Scientist

    Leading design, prototyping and evaluation with cross-functional research and engineering teams, and managing an external research portfolio.

  • 2019 – 2024

    Harvard University · Capasso Group

    Doctoral research in nanophotonics, electro-optical devices and quantum technologies.

  • 2023

    Meta Reality Labs · Research intern, optical waveguides

    Waveguide design for augmented reality; the project reached a working demo shown to Meta's CEO within 12 weeks.

  • 2019

    Robert Bosch GmbH · Intern, technical strategy

    Optimizing vehicle E/E architectures with evolutionary algorithms.

Education

  • 2019 – 2024

    PhD, Applied Physics

    Harvard University · advisor Federico Capasso
  • 2022

    M.Sc., Applied Physics

    Harvard University
  • 2015 – 2019

    B.Sc., Physics, summa cum laude

    Heidelberg University

Honors

  • 2022 – 24Meta PhD Fellowship
  • 2022EECS Rising Star
  • 2021Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Harvard University
  • 2015 – 19German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes)
Talks & panels
Christina Spaegele speaking on a panel at the Dubai Future Forum
Dubai Future Forum, 2025
Christina Spaegele giving an invited talk on augmented reality devices
META, Dublin 2026
Aug 2026SiC for AR glasses and quantum technologiesWE-Heraeus Seminar: Silicon Carbide, Device Integration for Quantum Technologies, GermanyTalk · Panel
Jul 2026Wavefront and spectral controlGordon Research Conference on Plasmonics and Nanophotonics, MaineDiscussion lead
Jul 2026Technology translation and career perspectiveGordon Research Seminar on Plasmonics and Nanophotonics, MainePanel
Jul 2026Nanophotonics for AR devicesMETA 2026, DublinTalk
Jun 2026Breakthrough technologies powering AR devicesStanford UniversitySeminar
Apr 2026Engineering of nanoscale materials for AR devicesMITLecture
Apr 2026Substrate patterning-driven nanoscale engineering of 2D materialsMITLecture
Nov 2025Breakthrough technologies powering seamless wearablesDubai Future ForumPanel
2025Nanophotonic design for AR displays: opportunities and challengesMETA 2025, MalagaTalk
Publications

13 journal articles18 conference proceedings6 pending patents

  1. A scalable platform for nanometer-scale quantum confinementSpaegele, C.M.*, Rezaee, M.*, Werkmeister, T., Lim, S.W.D., Vaillancourt, K., Park, J.S., Chevalier, P., Kaminer, I., Kim, P., Capasso, F., Tamagnone, M.arXiv:2604.08957 (2026)preprint
  2. Collective many-body dynamics in a solid-state quantum sensor controlled through nanoscale magnetic gradientsPut, P.*, Leitao, N.*, Gao, H.*, Spaegele, C.M.*, et al., Lukin, M.arXiv:2506.11920 (2025)preprint
  3. Multidimensional optical singularities and their applicationsLim, S.W.D.*, Spägele, C.M.*, Capasso, F.Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering 1–14 (2026)review
  4. Quantum-well metasurface for free-space-accessible enhanced nonlinear polarizationFathi, P.U., Occhiodori, I., Devaney, P., Ricks, A., Ramesh, R., Ju, Y., Waqar, M., Letsou, T.P., Spägele, C.M., Jung, H., Brener, I., Pan, X., Ossiander, M., Bank, S.R., Capasso, F.Nature Nanotechnology (2026)
  5. Superluminal correlations in ensembles of optical phase singularitiesBucher, T., Gorlach, A., Niedermayr, A., Yan, Q., Nahari, H., Wang, K., Ruimy, R., Adiv, Y., Yannai, M., Lenkiewicz Abudi, T., Janzen, E., Spaegele, C.M., Roques-Carmes, C., Edgar, C., Koppens, F., Vanacore, G., Herzig Sheinfux, H., Tsesses, S., Kaminer, I.Nature 651, 920–926 (2026)
  6. Metasurface-controlled holographic microcavitiesSydney, M., Meretska, M.L., Spaegele, C.M., Ossiander, M., Capasso, F.ACS Photonics 11(3), 941–949 (2024)
  7. Topologically protected optical polarization singularities in four-dimensional spaceSpaegele, C.M., Tamagnone, M., Lim, S.W.D., Ossiander, M., Meretska, M.L., Capasso, F.Science Advances 9(24), eadh0369 (2023)
  8. Point singularity array with metasurfacesLim, S.W.D., Park, J.S., Kazakov, D., Spägele, C.M., Dorrah, A.H., Meretska, M.L., Capasso, F.Nature Communications 14, 3237 (2023)
  9. Metasurface-stabilized optical microcavitiesOssiander, M., Meretska, M.L., Rourke, S., Spägele, C., Yin, X., Benea-Chelmus, I.C., Capasso, F.Nature Communications 14, 1114 (2023)
  10. Open optical cavities based on metasurfacesSpaegele, C., Capasso, F., Tamagnone, M.Reviews of Electromagnetics 1 (2022)invited comment
  11. Multifunctional wide-angle optics and lasing based on supercell metasurfacesSpägele, C., Tamagnone, M., Kazakov, D., Ossiander, M., Piccardo, M., Capasso, F.Nature Communications 12, 3787 (2021)
  12. Polariton nanophotonics using phase-change materialsChaudhary, K.*, Tamagnone, M.*, Yin, X.*, Spägele, C.M.*, Oscurato, S.L., Li, J., Persch, C., Li, R., Rubin, N.A., Jauregui, L.A., Watanabe, K., Taniguchi, T., Kim, P., Wuttig, M., Edgar, J.H., Ambrosio, A., Capasso, F.Nature Communications 10, 4487 (2019)
  13. High quality factor polariton resonators using van der Waals materialsTamagnone, M., Chaudhary, K., Spaegele, C.M., Zhu, A., Meretska, M., Li, J., Edgar, J.H., Ambrosio, A., Capasso, F.arXiv:1905.02177 (2019)preprint

* equal contribution. The full, current list is on Google Scholar.

Conference proceedings (18)
  1. Arose, C., Jung, H., Yang, H., Nie, Z., Shi, Z., Spaegele, C., et al., Iyer, P.P. High speed beam steering with liquid-crystal semiconductor metasurface at visible wavelengths. Advances in Display Technologies XVI, SPIE, 2026.
  2. Fathi, P.U., Ossiander, M., Ricks, A., Wen, K., Letsou, T., Spägele, C., et al., Capasso, F. Enhancing second harmonic generation with digital alloys using metasurfaces. SPIE Photonics West, 2025.
  3. Ossiander, M., Mason, S., Meretska, M., Rourke, S., Spägele, C., Yin, X., Benea-Chelmus, I.C., Capasso, F. Metasurface-controlled holographic microcavities. SPIE Photonics West, 2025.
  4. Leitao, N.T., Put, P., Spaegele, C., Gao, H., Makarova, O.A., Capasso, F., Yao, N.Y., et al. Nanoscale control and imaging of many-body dynamics in a critical dipolar ensemble. SMT, 2025.
  5. Capasso, F., Lim, S.W.D., Spaegele, C.M. Singularity engineering with metasurfaces: from 0D to 4D. High Contrast Metastructures XIII, SPIE, 2024.
  6. Lim, S.W.D., Park, J.S., Kazakov, D., Spaegele, C.M., Dorrah, A.H., Meretska, M.L., Capasso, F. Point singularity array with metasurfaces for blue-detuned atomic traps. Optical Trapping and Optical Micromanipulation XX, SPIE, 2023.
  7. Spaegele, C.M., Tamagnone, M., Lim, S.W.D., Ossiander, M., Meretska, M., Capasso, F. Topologically protected polarization singularities in four dimensions. CLEO, 2023.
  8. Park, J.S., Vaillancourt, K., Lim, S.W.D., Spaegele, C.M., Capasso, F. All-dielectric, visible wavelength focusing metalens with planar surface for mechanical robustness. CLEO, 2023.
  9. Martin, L., Gao, H., Makarova, O., Leitao, N., Zhu, Q.Z., Zhou, H., Spaegele, C., et al., Capasso, F. Nanoscale control and readout of nitrogen vacancy ensembles for imaging and many-body physics. APS March Meeting, 2023.
  10. Ossiander, M., Meretska, M.L., Rourke, S., Spägele, C., Yin, X., Benea-Chelmus, I.C., Capasso, F. Optical microcavities stabilized using dielectric metasurfaces. CLEO, 2022.
  11. Makarova, O., Martin, L., Spaegele, C., et al., Walsworth, R. Towards non-equilibrium spin dynamics with spin spirals in dense ensembles of NV centers. APS March Meeting, 2022.
  12. Spaegele, C., Tamagnone, M., Kazakov, D., Ossiander, M., Piccardo, M., Capasso, F. External cavity lasers based on wide-angle multifunctional metasurfaces. Metamaterials, Metadevices, and Metasystems, SPIE, 2021.
  13. Spägele, C.M., Tamagnone, M., Kazakov, D., Ossiander, M., Piccardo, M., Capasso, F. Non-local multifunctional metasurfaces and their external cavity laser application. CLEO, 2021.
  14. Spägele, C.M., Tamagnone, M., Kazakov, D., Piccardo, M., Capasso, F. Metasurface-based external cavity diode laser. CLEO, 2020.
  15. Tamagnone, M., Meretska, M., Chaudhary, K., Spägele, C.M., et al., Capasso, F. High Q-factor resonators and nanoantennas based on phonon polaritons in van der Waals materials. CLEO, 2020.
  16. Spägele, C.M., Yin, X., Tamagnone, M., et al., Capasso, F. Reconfigurable polaritonics using phase change materials. DPG Spring Meeting, 2020.
  17. Tamagnone, M., Chaudhary, K., Yin, X., Spägele, C., et al., Capasso, F. Polariton meta-optics with phase-change materials. CLEO, 2019.
  18. Yin, X., Spägele, C.M., Tamagnone, M., et al., Capasso, F. Reconfigurable mid-infrared optical elements using phase change materials. CLEO, 2019.