CEO + CTO

Nicholas serves as Chief Executive Officer of xLight. Before assuming the CEO role, Nicholas led the development effort to build the world’s first useful quantum computer at PsiQuantum.

Nicholas spent 20 years in the Department of Energy National Lab system building and operating large scale, x-ray science facilities and instrumentation. Starting at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, he developed novel instrumentation and upgrades for the Advanced Light Source (ALS) and Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA) user facilities. He then moved to SLAC National Lab at Stanford where he was the Chief Engineer for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), a 3-mile-long x-ray free electron facility for ultrafast science.

Nicholas is a native of California and attended the University of California, Berkeley.

CHIEF SCIENTIST

Dr. Gennady Stupakov serves as Chief Scientist at xLight. Before joining the company, Dr. Stupakov was a Senior Scientist at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, CA for 29 years. Dr. Stupakov first came to the United States in 1991 to join the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory in Waxahachie, TX, before moving to SLAC in 1994. Dr. Stupakov began his career at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics in Novosibirsk where he earned his Candidate of Sciences and Doctor of Sciences degrees. At the same time, he taught various physics courses at Novosibirsk University where he held a position of professor of physics.

His scientific interests cover a broad range of topics in accelerator physics, including collective effects in beam dynamics and theory of free electron lasers. He has more than three hundred papers published in peer reviewed journals and conference proceedings.

He regularly teaches accelerator physics courses at the U.S. Particle Accelerator Schools.

CHIEF ENGINEER

Ed Daly is the Chief Engineer at xLight. Prior to joining the company, Ed spent more than 20 years at Jefferson Lab (JLAB) where he held a number of roles across cryomodule production and accelerator engineering and led groups across multiple divisions.

In the middle of his tenure at JLAB, Ed left to spend four years as a Senior Mechanical Engineer at ITER, an international, large-scale scientific collaboration intended to prove the viability of fusion as an energy source. Ed began his career as a mechanical engineer at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where his work focused on high-heat load vacuum system components for a high-energy physics machine.

Ed earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University and his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER

Kevin has worked in the semiconductor industry for 28 years with a focus on semiconductor process and process integration, capital equipment, manufacturing systems, and related products and services. Kevin was formerly employed at Onto Innovation (the merger of Nanometrics Inc and Rudolph Technologies in 2019) holding the title of SVP, Corporate Development & Marketing.

Prior to Onto, Kevin was employed at Nanometrics Incorporated, from April 2006 holding the title of SVP Marketing & Business Development. He was responsible for product marketing, corporate strategy, and M&A. Kevin began his career working in process engineering at Intel Corporation and spent 10 years working in Intel's Logic Technology Development group in Portland Oregon.

VICE PRESIDENT OF PHOTON SYSTEMS

Chris Anderson is the Vice President of Photon Systems at xLight. Before joining the company, Chris spent 15 years in various roles at the Center for X-Ray Optics, Berkeley Lab. As a Staff Scientist at Berkley Lab, Chris developed nanolithography systems and user programs for EUV materials research. Specifically, he managed an industry-funded EUV lithography user program through 2X expansion and 15k materials tested, and developed and implemented current generation EUV lithography system enabling 10A node materials research.

Prior to his work at Berkeley Lab, Chris spent five years as a Research Assistant at UC Berkeley where he performed original research, analysis, and computer modeling in EUV lithography. Chris started his career as a Research Assistant at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he performed original research in in non-linear optics.

Chris earned his Bachelor of Science in Optical Engineering at the University of California, his Master of Science in Optical Engineering from the University of Arizona, and his Ph.D. in Applied Science and Technology from the University of California, Berkeley.

VICE PRESIDENT OF ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIALIZATION

Andrew Burrill is Vice President of Engineering and Industrialization at xLight. Before joining xLight, Andrew spent the last 20 years at Department of Energy National Labs across the country as well as working in Germany at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, a world class research center for energy materials research.

In his previous roles Andrew has worked on multiple large scale accelerator construction projects including LCLS-II at SLAC and the CEBAF 12 GeV upgrade at Jefferson Lab. His focus has been on deployment of superconducting RF accelerators and project management of projects up to $1B.

Andrew earned his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the State University of NY at Stony Brook.

VICE PRESIDENT OF ACCELERATOR SYSTEMS

Bruce Dunham is Vice President of Accelerator Systems at xLight. Prior to xLight, Bruce was a Distinguished Scientist at the Nevada National Security Sites, working on issues critical for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Before supporting NNSA’s work, Bruce spent seven years at the SLAC Accelerator Laboratory, most recently serving as Accelerator Director and Associate Lab Director.

Bruce spent a decade in academia before entering the national lab ecosystem, serving as the Director of Research and Development at CLASSE, the Cornell University Laboratory for Accelerator Sciences and Education. Bruce started his career at General Electric Healthcare, where he worked for 10 years on computed tomography systems.

Bruce earned his Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR GLOBAL POLICY AND PUBLIC SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS

Ben spent over 15 years in the United States government. Although Ben began his career in the private sector, he resigned from a management position in consulting to join the U.S. Navy after 9/11. Ben spent almost a decade as an Intelligence Officer. He then served in AmeriCorps and as Professional Staff Member for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He retired from federal service as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State.

Prior to xLight, Ben spent approximately two years at Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). He also worked for the RAND Corporation and the Institute for Security and Technology.

Ben earned a B.A. in political science and international relations, cum laude, at Carleton College, a masters in National Security & Strategic Studies at the U.S. Naval War College, and both a masters and a doctorate in political science at the University of Colorado Boulder. Additionally, Ben is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins SAIS — Nanjing University Center. He lives in Silicon Valley with his wife and their two children.

DIRECTOR, FEL

Christopher Mayes is the Director of FEL at xLight. Before assuming his role at xLight, Christopher spent six years as a staff scientist at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Christopher started his career at the Cornell Laboratory for Accelerator-based Sciences and Education, where he served in various roles for 11 years.

Christopher earned his Bachelor of Science in Physics and Mathematics with Honors from the College of William and Mary, and both his Master of Science and Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University.

LEAD FOR FEL PHYSICS AND UNDULATOR TECHNOLOGIES

Dinh Nguyen serves as the Lead for FEL Physics and Undulator Technologies at xLight. Prior to joining the company, he was a Senior Scientist at SLAC and Los Alamos National Laboratories where he developed a number of important technologies on lasers, photocathodes, high-brightness electron beams and free-electron lasers. Dinh Nguyen is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, a member of the International Free-Electron Laser Conference Executive Committee, and the recipient of the 2017 International FEL Prize. He has taught Free-Electron Laser courses at the US Particle Accelerator School several times. Dinh Nguyen received his Bachelor of Science with Honor at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, both in Chemistry.

Robert Maire is an advisor to technology companies and investors primarily in the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industries. Robert brings to bear a unique combination of many years of experience and knowledge of the financial markets and a deep understanding of technology.

Dr. Miller is associate professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University and is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a think-tank in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Patrick Naulleau is the CEO of EUV Tech. Dr. Naulleau has over 390 publications as well as 19 Patents and is a Fellow of OSA (now Optica) and SPIE.

Jacqueline Tame is an Operating Partner at Playground Global and Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Defense Group.

Jim Wiley is an experienced semiconductor, photomask and community leader. He has particular experience in EUV Lithography, Market Analysis, Semiconductor Lithography, Photomask Manufacturing, Computational Lithography and Early-stage Startups.

Faran has been a semiconductor technologist, an entrepreneur, an investor and board member. She is currently a General Partner at America's Frontier Fund. Prior to AFF, she was a Vice President at Lam Research and a founding member of Lam Capital, where she oversaw the creation of the fund and its investment portfolio, which led to multiple exits via IPO and acquisitions. Prior to her VC career, Faran spent two decades in semiconductor industry where she developed commercially successful products at both startups and Fortune 500 companies.