Engineering Reconfigurable Photonic Systems for Nanoscale Applications

Controlling light through optical engineering, hardware systems, and computation plays a central role in developing new tools for sensing and fabrication. This thesis presents contributions to two experimental platforms that apply these principles in different contexts: one for quantum defect measurement, the other for additive nanofabrication. The first is a room temperature 4f optical setup for characterizing spin defects in diamond and hexagonal boron nitride. Work focused on optimizing the photoluminescence and microwave control system to measure optically detected magnetic resonance and perform spin control protocols such as Rabi oscillations. The setup resolved narrow NV center transitions with clear contrast and enabled the study of both nitrogen vacancy and carbon based defects. The second centers on a metasurface-assisted 3D printing platform that uses a spatial light modulator (SLM) and nanostructured optical elements to project structured light fields into resin. Unlike traditional point-scanning systems, this setup enables parallel exposure at multiple focal points. Contributions include optical alignment, motion and exposure automation, and implementation of polarization-multiplexed holography. Initial results show potential for increasing print speed and spatial precision through holographic parallelization. Together, these systems demonstrate how experimental optical platforms, designed through a combination of physical modeling, control, and system integration, can push the performance of quantum measurement and nanoscale fabrication.