Mikhail Kats
@mickeykats.bsky.social
Optics/photonics researcher, applied physicist, and faculty at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Personal account + opinions
Was @mickeykats on Twitter
Was @mickeykats on Twitter
Per the reconciled versions of the appropriations bills out of congress, science funding will almost remain flat from the previous year (very slight decrease, plus the inflation penalty)
Not great, but still a big relief given what could have happened 🧪
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
Not great, but still a big relief given what could have happened 🧪
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
January 7, 2026 at 5:09 AM
Per the reconciled versions of the appropriations bills out of congress, science funding will almost remain flat from the previous year (very slight decrease, plus the inflation penalty)
Not great, but still a big relief given what could have happened 🧪
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
Not great, but still a big relief given what could have happened 🧪
cen.acs.org/policy/resea...
Learned that even more people have the flu
Biiig wave
Biiig wave
The number of people I know with the flu is 😬
Makes me want to stay out of the office for a week
Makes me want to stay out of the office for a week
January 7, 2026 at 4:01 AM
Learned that even more people have the flu
Biiig wave
Biiig wave
Test EDITED post (edited)
January 7, 2026 at 3:25 AM
Test EDITED post (edited)
First edited post on bluesky?
one more edit (edited)
January 6, 2026 at 9:08 PM
First edited post on bluesky?
Reposted by Mikhail Kats
I generally find it strange how little people seem to value... things they read being true and correct
For people active online, there's a record of their takes/statements/predictions sometimes going back many years. Seems to be no correlation at all between a strong record + their reach
For people active online, there's a record of their takes/statements/predictions sometimes going back many years. Seems to be no correlation at all between a strong record + their reach
January 6, 2026 at 6:28 PM
I generally find it strange how little people seem to value... things they read being true and correct
For people active online, there's a record of their takes/statements/predictions sometimes going back many years. Seems to be no correlation at all between a strong record + their reach
For people active online, there's a record of their takes/statements/predictions sometimes going back many years. Seems to be no correlation at all between a strong record + their reach
I regret to inform you all that the most-effective social network for academic scientists is LinkedIn, and has been for a while
January 6, 2026 at 5:44 PM
I regret to inform you all that the most-effective social network for academic scientists is LinkedIn, and has been for a while
1/ Second preprint of 2026: "Silicon-on-sapphire metasurfaces generate arrays of dark and bright traps for neutral atoms" arxiv.org/abs/2601.01038 💡🧪
We designed and fabricated metasurface from silicon-on-sapphire wafers, that convert a Gaussian beam into arrays of complex optical traps for atoms
We designed and fabricated metasurface from silicon-on-sapphire wafers, that convert a Gaussian beam into arrays of complex optical traps for atoms
January 6, 2026 at 3:21 PM
1/ Second preprint of 2026: "Silicon-on-sapphire metasurfaces generate arrays of dark and bright traps for neutral atoms" arxiv.org/abs/2601.01038 💡🧪
We designed and fabricated metasurface from silicon-on-sapphire wafers, that convert a Gaussian beam into arrays of complex optical traps for atoms
We designed and fabricated metasurface from silicon-on-sapphire wafers, that convert a Gaussian beam into arrays of complex optical traps for atoms
Rewatched the beginning of Stranger Things and it's just a lot better than what it became by the end
Gritty and earnest and nostalgic
Gritty and earnest and nostalgic
January 6, 2026 at 3:55 AM
Rewatched the beginning of Stranger Things and it's just a lot better than what it became by the end
Gritty and earnest and nostalgic
Gritty and earnest and nostalgic
The number of people I know with the flu is 😬
Makes me want to stay out of the office for a week
Makes me want to stay out of the office for a week
January 6, 2026 at 1:32 AM
The number of people I know with the flu is 😬
Makes me want to stay out of the office for a week
Makes me want to stay out of the office for a week
Reposting three optics tools/applets recently posted on my group website: katsgroup.ece.wisc.edu/tools (best viewed in desktop): 🧪💡
1. Unit converter for wavelength, etc., that names the wavelength range + shows color
2. Blackbody radiation calculator
3. Spectral distribution range comparator
1. Unit converter for wavelength, etc., that names the wavelength range + shows color
2. Blackbody radiation calculator
3. Spectral distribution range comparator
January 6, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Reposting three optics tools/applets recently posted on my group website: katsgroup.ece.wisc.edu/tools (best viewed in desktop): 🧪💡
1. Unit converter for wavelength, etc., that names the wavelength range + shows color
2. Blackbody radiation calculator
3. Spectral distribution range comparator
1. Unit converter for wavelength, etc., that names the wavelength range + shows color
2. Blackbody radiation calculator
3. Spectral distribution range comparator
We had one paper posted on arXiv today, and another one coming tomorrow. If we extrapolate this trend to the end of the year, I can retire
January 5, 2026 at 8:48 PM
We had one paper posted on arXiv today, and another one coming tomorrow. If we extrapolate this trend to the end of the year, I can retire
1/ New preprint: "Anti-reflection coatings for highly anisotropic materials in the mid infrared" arxiv.org/abs/2601.00558 💡🧪
We have been developing materials with some of the largest optical birefringence -- in some cases with Δn > 2 in the mid infrared. With a Δn, making AR coatings is nontrivial
We have been developing materials with some of the largest optical birefringence -- in some cases with Δn > 2 in the mid infrared. With a Δn, making AR coatings is nontrivial
January 5, 2026 at 7:18 PM
1/ New preprint: "Anti-reflection coatings for highly anisotropic materials in the mid infrared" arxiv.org/abs/2601.00558 💡🧪
We have been developing materials with some of the largest optical birefringence -- in some cases with Δn > 2 in the mid infrared. With a Δn, making AR coatings is nontrivial
We have been developing materials with some of the largest optical birefringence -- in some cases with Δn > 2 in the mid infrared. With a Δn, making AR coatings is nontrivial
My encyclopedias circa age 5-9, which I was sufficiently attached to that we lugged them across the Atlantic
January 5, 2026 at 3:21 AM
My encyclopedias circa age 5-9, which I was sufficiently attached to that we lugged them across the Atlantic
Some thoughts about what types of feeds are missing on Bluesky
I feel like I regularly miss Bluesky posts from people I follow and want to hear from, especially from very different time zones
The Following feed is chronological, so time zones are an issue
The Discover feed is for other things entirely
There's a zoo of other feeds, all with deficiencies
The Following feed is chronological, so time zones are an issue
The Discover feed is for other things entirely
There's a zoo of other feeds, all with deficiencies
January 4, 2026 at 11:57 PM
Some thoughts about what types of feeds are missing on Bluesky
Found my dog on google streetview (on a walk), and google blurred out the tip of his nose like it does human faces
January 4, 2026 at 2:40 AM
Found my dog on google streetview (on a walk), and google blurred out the tip of his nose like it does human faces
2026 is off to a rocky start, but on the flip side I did submit two preprints to arXiv
January 4, 2026 at 1:41 AM
2026 is off to a rocky start, but on the flip side I did submit two preprints to arXiv
Already soiling the sterling reputation of the FIFA peace prize
January 3, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Already soiling the sterling reputation of the FIFA peace prize
Thanks to LLMs, my own artisan em dashes look cringe to me, and I don't like it
January 3, 2026 at 1:56 AM
Thanks to LLMs, my own artisan em dashes look cringe to me, and I don't like it
arXiv's explanation about why they ask for tex/latex source files is a little sassy info.arxiv.org/help/faq/why...
January 3, 2026 at 1:34 AM
arXiv's explanation about why they ask for tex/latex source files is a little sassy info.arxiv.org/help/faq/why...
Reposted by Mikhail Kats
A few UV fluorescent organisms from an accidental night hike yesterday in the Oakland Hills. I’ll have an article out about UV Fluorescence in the SF Bay Area in the next issue of Bay Nature Magazine. #UVF #fluorescence
January 2, 2026 at 5:45 PM
A few UV fluorescent organisms from an accidental night hike yesterday in the Oakland Hills. I’ll have an article out about UV Fluorescence in the SF Bay Area in the next issue of Bay Nature Magazine. #UVF #fluorescence
Gmail giving 1 Gb of free email storage when the norm at the time was like 20 Mb was an experience
Even stranger, our gmail accounts will hit a quarter century in a few years..
January 1, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Gmail giving 1 Gb of free email storage when the norm at the time was like 20 Mb was an experience
It's just a bit of age, and not even that much, but it's a little weird to be able to vividly remember and having understood in real time a quarter century of history
Quarter century in the books, huh
January 1, 2026 at 5:46 PM
It's just a bit of age, and not even that much, but it's a little weird to be able to vividly remember and having understood in real time a quarter century of history
Happy upcoming 2026 =)
Quarter century in the books, huh
January 1, 2026 at 4:28 AM
Happy upcoming 2026 =)
Quarter century in the books, huh
January 1, 2026 at 4:14 AM
Quarter century in the books, huh
The concept of pre-2023 text and images being valuable because they are untouched by generative AI is interesting and depressing
Like pre-1945 steel, lead, glass, etc., pre-industrial ice cores (and air), old-growth timber
What are other examples of valuable pre-contamination materials and items?
Like pre-1945 steel, lead, glass, etc., pre-industrial ice cores (and air), old-growth timber
What are other examples of valuable pre-contamination materials and items?
December 31, 2025 at 5:10 AM
The concept of pre-2023 text and images being valuable because they are untouched by generative AI is interesting and depressing
Like pre-1945 steel, lead, glass, etc., pre-industrial ice cores (and air), old-growth timber
What are other examples of valuable pre-contamination materials and items?
Like pre-1945 steel, lead, glass, etc., pre-industrial ice cores (and air), old-growth timber
What are other examples of valuable pre-contamination materials and items?