Professional Bio:
Johnston Kalwe is a Lecturer in the Department of Physics and the National Institute for Optics and Lasers (NIOL) at Multimedia University of Kenya. He is engaged in teaching, research and the advancement of optical science and photonics in Kenya. Trained across three continents Africa, Europe, and Asia. Kalwe brings a truly global academic perspective to his work, having pursued his studies in Kenya, Germany and China respectively.
In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Kalwe is a dedicated and active researcher specializing in Chiral Nano photonics and Computational Optics cutting-edge fields at the intersection of light, nanotechnology and advanced materials. His research focuses on metasurfaces and their applications in polarization control, areas that hold significant promise for the future of optical communications, imaging and sensing technologies.
Kalwe is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of optical scientists. He serves as the Academic Advisor for the Multimedia University of Kenya OPTICA-SPIE Society Student Chapter, through which he mentors students and connects them with the global optics and photonics community. He is an active member of the Optical Society of America and SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, two of the most prestigious professional organizations in his field.
Kalwe is a recipient of several prestigious international scholarships. HELB supported his undergraduate and Master’s studies in Kenya, DAAD funded his Master’s studies at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Germany and the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) fully funded his Ph.D. studies at the Harbin Institute of Technology in China.
Beyond his professional life, Kalwe is passionate about swimming, travelling, adventure and playing indoor games particularly badminton and table tennis. These pursuits reflect a spirit of discipline, curiosity and healthy competition that equally defines his character as a researcher and educator.
Academic Qualifications:
2026 − Ph.D in Physics (Optics)
Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin,
People’s Republic of China.
Thesis Handedness – dependent focusing in chiral dielectric metasurfaces.
2014 – M.Sc. in Physics (Optics & Lasers)
JKUAT/Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Germany
Thesis Generation of beams with polarization order number +1 using
Cellophane sheet.
2012 – B.Sc in Physics
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology
Professional Qualification:
Specialist in precision Optics (SPO) − International Certification Accreditation Council (ICAC)
Membership of Professional Bodies or Association:
OPTICA – Formerly Optical Society of America (OSA), Member #: 1202077
SPIE – the International Society for Optics and Photonics, SPIE ID#: 5121421
Academic Affiliations:
School of physics, Chiral Nano photonics research group − Harbin Institute Of Technology in China.
School of pure and applied sciences − Machakos University.
Community Service:
Member, Board of Management – Kithasyu Secondary Shool in Kibwezi Sub County.
Research Interest
Computational Optics
Chiral Nanophotonics
Metasurfaces
Recent Publications/ Grants/ Awards and Recognition/Consultancies:
Kalwe JK., Liu X., Li J. et al. (2025). All-dielectric planar metasurface for giant circular dichroism and polarization-selective focusing. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 58(40), DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/ae0a64
Kalwe JK., Liu X., Li J. et al. (2025). Polarization-dependent bifocal Metalens enabled by dielectrically chiral metasurfaces. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 58(16), DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/adbd4e
Kalwe JK., Liu X., Li J. et al. (2024). Enhanced chiroptical effects and high-efficiency polarization-selective focusing based on dielectrically chiral metasurfaces. Optics Communications 577(16):131334. DOI: 10.1016/j.optcom.2024.131334
Gebeyehu DM., Liu X., Li J., Kalwe JK. et al. (2025). Orbital angular momentum modes in twisted anti-resonant fiber with dielectrically chiral tube cores. Physica Scripta 100(4). DOI: 10.1088/1402-4896/adbe08
Gebeyehu DM., Liu X., Li J., Kalwe JK. et al. (2024). Orbital angular momentum modes in dielectrically chiral-core fibers. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics 57(34), DOI: 10.1088/1361-6463/ad4a7f
Gebeyehu DM., Liu X., Li J., Kalwe JK. et al. (2024). The characteristics of Vortex modes in twisted fiber with dielectrically chiral ring core. Physics Letters A 508:129486. DOI: 10.1016/j.physleta.2024.129486
Awards and Grants
Linkedin Profile Url, Personal Website/Portfolio, Google Scholar/Research Gate:
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Johnston-Kalwe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnston-kalwe-
Orcid: 0009-0006-8212-5289,
Contacts:
Phone: +254728245906
Email: jkalwe@mmu.ac.ke