Wenshan Cai is a full professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a joint appointment in Materials Science and Engineering. Prior to joining Georgia Tech in 2012, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. Dr. Cai received his B.S. and M.S. from Tsinghua University in 2000 and 2002, respectively, and his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 2008. His research is focused on nanophotonic materials and devices, in which he has made major impacts on the evolving field of plasmonics and metamaterials. Dr. Cai has published ~100 journal articles, which in total have been cited over 20,000 times. He authored the book, Optical Metamaterials: Fundamentals and Applications, which is used as a textbook or a major reference around the world. Dr. Cai is the recipient of several distinctions, including the OSA/SPIE Joseph W. Goodman Book Writing Award and the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award. He is a Fellow of SPIE.
- Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Purdue University, 2008
- M.S., Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2002
- B.S., Electrical Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2000
Cai’s research focuses on nanophotonic materials and devices, including two-dimensional materials and plasmonics. His work explores light-matter interactions at the nanoscale to develop novel optoelectronic and photonic applications. Current research includes fundamental studies of optical properties in low-dimensional systems and the design of next-generation photonic devices with enhanced performance. The research engages students actively in experimental and theoretical investigations.
Cai’s teaching interests include core courses in electrical and computer engineering with emphasis on nanophotonics, optoelectronics, and device physics. He focuses on foundational topics that bridge theoretical concepts and practical applications at undergraduate and graduate levels. His instruction aims to develop students’ understanding of light-matter interactions and nanoscale device functionalities, fostering analytical and experimental skills relevant to emerging technologies.
- Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award (ONR YIP), 2017
- CooperVision Science & Technology Award, 2016
- OSA and SPIE Joseph W. Goodman Book Writing Award, 2014
- Optical Society of America New Focus/Bookham Student Award, 2008
- Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Students Abroad, 2007
- Nanotech Briefs Nano 50 Award in the Technology category, 2006
- Graduate with Honors, Tsinghua University, 2002
- M R Tavakol, W Cai, Nonreciprocal negative refraction enabled by photonic time crystals, Nano Letters 26(4), 1569, 2026
- T Park, S Mondal, W Cai, Interfacing nanophotonics with deep neural networks: AI for photonic design and photonic implementation of AI, Laser & Photonics Reviews 19(8), 2401520, 2025
- AS Kim, A Goswami, M Taghinejad, W Cai, Phototransformation of achiral metasurfaces into handedness-selectable transient chiral media, PNAS 121(13), e2318713121, 2024
- A Goswami, AS Kim, W Cai, Exploring the synergy between hot-electron dynamics and active plasmonics: A perspective, Journal of Applied Physics 136(10), 100901, 2024
- A S Kim, M Taghinejad, A Goswami, L Raju, K-T Lee, W Cai, Tailored dispersion of spectro-temporal dynamics in hot-carrier plasmonics, Advanced Science 10(8), 2205434, 2023