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Willie John Padilla

Dr. Paul Wang Distinguished Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Dr. Paul Wang Distinguished Professor · 2024 - Present Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering · 2015 - Present Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering

In the News


Published March 19, 2024
Duke Announces 32 New Distinguished Professorships

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Recent Publications


Deep Inverse Design of an Infrared Metasurface Diffuser

Journal Article Advanced Optical Materials · November 25, 2024 Machine learning (ML) algorithms have become invaluable tools for tackling design challenges associated with achieving unique scattering effects in artificial electromagnetic materials (AEMs). However, their effectiveness is reliant on substantial, well-co ... Full text Cite

Physics-Informed Inverse Design of Programmable Metasurfaces.

Journal Article Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · November 2024 Emerging reconfigurable metasurfaces offer various possibilities for programmatically manipulating electromagnetic waves across spatial, spectral, and temporal domains, showcasing great potential for enhancing terahertz applications. However, they are hind ... Full text Cite

Machine Learning for Engineering Meta-Atoms with Tailored Multipolar Resonances

Journal Article Laser and Photonics Reviews · July 1, 2024 In the rapidly developing field of nanophotonics, machine learning (ML) methods facilitate the multi-parameter optimization processes and serve as a valuable technique in tackling inverse design challenges by predicting nanostructure designs that satisfy s ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Phase Sensitive Millimeter Wave Imaging with Metamaterials

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Srico, Inc. · 2023 - 2025

Mapping Strain in Composite Materials using Terahertz Metamaterials

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Srico, Inc. · 2024 - 2025

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Education, Training & Certifications


University of California, San Diego · 2004 Ph.D.

External Links


Padilla Lab Website