Stepan Essaian is President, CEO, and Founder of Spectralus. He has over 20 years of technical and management experience in solid-state optoelectronics, semiconductor devices, and telecommunications systems and networks. In 2000-02, Dr. Essaian served as the Chief Scientist for Solid State Photonix/Teraburst Networks Co, a leading developer of an OMO analog switch for OXCs. At Teraburst, Dr. Essaian has directed the development of advanced all-optical switch devices for future OXC systems. Prior to working at SSP, Dr Essaian directed the development of SiGe based technology used in the wireless and networking marketplace at National Semiconductor Co. Before National Semiconductor, he was a Visiting Professor at the Fiber Optics Center of Rutgers University. Before immigration to the US, Dr. Essaian was a Principal Scientist at Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute in St Petersburg, Russia, and Professor of Optics at Yerevan State University, Armenia, where worked in the fields of acousto-optics, electro-optics, and photo-refractive effects and nonlinear-optics effects in dielectrics and semiconductor materials. Dr. Essaian is an author of over 100 publications. He holds 12 patents in the field of advanced materials and processes and optical-related technologies. In addition, he has 5 pending patent applications on PPLN technology. Dr. Essaian holds an D.Sc. and Ph.D in Solid State Physics and Optoelectronics from Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg (Russia)