For centuries, science has advanced through theory and experiment. Computation has given us a third path — one that is revolutionizing fields like optics, where we can now directly calculate optical systems that once had to be designed by trial and error.

Martijn Anthonissen leads the Computational Optics group at TU/e. The group works on lighting applications, with the goal of designing optical systems that transform a given light source into a desired light output.
The traditional approach is to design an optical system, test it using ray tracing, adjust the design, and repeat. This is an iterative and time-consuming process.
The Computational Optics group develops inverse methods that directly compute the required optical system. These methods are based on advanced physical models describing how light interacts with lenses and reflectors. The ultimate goal is to develop simulation tools that enable virtual prototyping.
Before joining the optics group, Martijn worked on a wide range of applications, including combustion, glass sintering, transport of tracers in anisotropic turbulence, film cooling, laser surface remelting, wafer positioning, lens deformation, cathodic protection for ships and wind-farm aerodynamics.

Martijn Anthonissen studied mathematics at TU/e. After completing his master's degree, he was selected for the Japan Prizewinners Program — a one-year postgraduate course for twenty recently graduated Dutch students. As part of this program, he lived in Tokyo and spent seven months working at the Hitachi Group Headquarters.
After returning to the Netherlands, Martijn pursued a PhD in numerical combustion. He currently leads the Computational Optics group at TU/e. Throughout his career he has made extended research visits to Yale University (New Haven, USA), the Weierstrass Institute for Applied Analysis and Stochastics (Berlin, Germany), Japan Women's University (Tokyo, Japan), the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (Surathkal, India) and the Università degli Studi di Perugia (Perugia, Italy).
Martijn teaches a variety of mathematics courses at TU/e. He has been involved in the university's teacher training program in mathematics (Eindhoven School of Education) and in the educational management of the graduate program in Industrial and Applied Mathematics.