Ouri Karni was born and raised in Haifa and attended the Hebrew Reali School. His attraction to science in general and to physics in particular led him to continue straight on to study for a BA in physics and a BSc in electrical engineering at the Technion, in the framework of the IDF’s “Psagot” reserve program for outstanding students. During this period he discovered his affection for the boundary between fundamental and applied physics. Specializing in electro-optics, he graduated summa cum laude.

After completing his military service, Ouri returned to the Technion to join a direct PhD track under the supervision of Prof. Gadi Eisenstein. His research explores, both experimentally and theoretically, the ultra-fast dynamic mechanisms acting in semiconductor optical amplifiers, which employ quantum-dots as the active medium. These devices exhibit a wide variety of phenomena, including non-linear wave propagation, different relaxation processes of the charge-carrier populations, and quantum-mechanical effects similar to Rabi oscillations. The goal of their study is, ultimately, to utilize these quantum-dot devices as platforms for sophisticated future communication systems.

Ouri is a teaching assistant in basic undergraduate courses in the field of electromagnetic waves and semiconductor optical devices. In his spare time, he has been an active orienteer for the past decade, mostly as a member of the Technion orienteering team.