Tom Nugent is the Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of PowerLight Technologies (formerly LaserMotive), the world leader in laser power beaming. He has been working in the field of optical wireless power (aka laser power beaming) for more than 14 years. His work has included system architecture design, trade studies, subsystem design, and component selection. That work has spanned all elements of power beaming systems including lasers, high power optics, receiver tracking, beam steering, photovoltaic power converters, power management and distribution, innovative active laser safety systems, controls, and thermal management.

Nugent started out working on advanced space propulsion concepts and hardware, including antiproton-catalyzed fission/fusion interplanetary propulsion (JPL), space elevator design (LiftPort), and novel liquid fuel rocket engines (MIT). Before shifting full time to PowerLight, he worked at Intellectual Ventures Labs, a multidisciplinary early-stage R&D laboratory where he designed and prototyped medical devices, and was also involved in the Photonic Fence project that used lasers to kill mosquitoes for malaria control. Nugent is inventor or co-inventor on more than 60 issued US patents, numerous foreign patents, and more than 12 pending patent applications. He has been an invited speaker at multiple Directed Energy Professional Society, Optical Wireless Power Transfer, and OSA conferences. In June of 2024, Nugent co-authored and released the compiled history, theory, and practice on power beaming further solidifying his position within the laser and power beaming community.