Prof. Sabat is an expert in optical materials, nanotechnology, and photonics. Specifically, he conducts research on measuring, understanding, and enhancing the mechanical, electrical, and optical properties of transducer-type materials to be used in functional devices and applications. His main research thrust is on the laser fabrication of optical nanostructures, microstructures and metasurfaces in photomechanical azobenzene thin films. After fabrication, these films, having customizable surface features including biomimicry, exhibit interesting plasmonic and optical properties which are well-suited for incorporation in practical devices such as diffraction gratings, electro-optical modulators, light waveguides, light-based sensors and biosensors, thin film solar cells, active optical coatings, selective spectroscopy surfaces and all types of imaging devices and applications.