Clara Rivero-Baleine, Ph.D.

Lockheed Martin Fellow
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control

24 U.S. Patents

Clara Rivero-Baleine, PhD, is a Lockheed Martin Fellow at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, where she leads advanced research in optical materials, infrared systems and next-generation sensor technologies. Over her two-decade long career, she has become a technical leader in the development of high-performance materials for national defense applications. Previously, Dr. Rivero-Baleine held multiple technical and leadership roles at Lockheed Martin, including Engineering and Technology Materials Engineering Manager and Group Technical Staff Member, where she guided research, development and transition of advanced optical technologies into operational systems.

Dr. Rivero-Baleine is a pioneering innovator in infrared-optical materials, gradient-refractive-index (GRIN) optics, and metamaterial-based coatings. She is best known for developing advanced GRIN optical materials that embed a continuous refractive index gradient within glass-ceramic structures, enabling a single, optical element to replace multiple conventional lenses. These innovations can reduce system size and complexity by up to 30% while improving performance in next-generation infrared sensing systems. Her work also includes breakthrough anti-reflective “meta-coatings” that achieve broadband transmission across wide fields of view, significantly enhancing sensor capabilities in aerospace and defense environments. These novel technologies strengthen national defense capabilities and advance the field of photonics. Dr. Rivero-Baleine holds 24 U.S. patents and has received numerous honors, including Lockheed Martin’s NOVA Award for Technical Innovation and the Advanced Materials Laureate Award from the International Association of Advanced Materials. Her work continues to shape the future of optical systems and advanced materials engineering.