SHOW: INTEGRATED PHOTONIC AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INDUSTRY DAY
Research-industry links evident at UCL-Cambridge industry event
Jessica Rowbury reports from an industry day showcasing the latest research at the Centre for Doctoral Training in Integrated Photonic and Electronic Systems
T
he benefits of having strong links between research and industry were highlighted at the Integrated Photonic and Electronic Systems Industry Day that took place at University College London on 14 January. The event was organised by the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Integrated Photonic and Electronic Systems (IPES), a research facility set up as part of a collaboration between UCL and Cambridge University. The centre trains postgraduate students and works closely with a wide range of companies worldwide, including Coherent, Hammamatsu, JK Lasers, Qioptiq, SPI Lasers and more.
In addition to showcasing the centre’s latest
research achievements, a main focus of the day was to provide an environment for students to meet with industry partners, who discussed their own research goals and research opportunities for graduates. Andrew Lord, head of Optical Networks
Research for BT, spoke about the telecommunication giant’s need for optical engineers to help solve data capacity challenges associated with optical fibres. He showed a graph depicting how consumer internet traffic has increased significantly over the last 10 years – from close to zero in 2005, to between two and three terabits (one trillion bits) in 2015. ‘The growth has been exponential,’ Lord said. Microsoft Research is interested in recruiting graduates for the Devices and Consumer section of its business, which includes smart phones, tablets, computers, and game consoles. ‘This is where we’ve recently noticed that we really need to increase our intake of optical engineers,’ said Dr Adrian Travis, senior researcher for Microsoft, during his presentation. ‘We want [to work on] optics because we want better human-computer interfaces.’ In particular, engineers are needed for the company’s HoloLens virtual reality (VR) headset, which has yet to be released but has already been
18 ELECTRO OPTICS l FEBRUARY 2016
We want [to work on] optics because we want better human- computer interfaces
described as one of Microsoft’s most innovative products. The device will let users see and interact with high resolution holograms. ‘Virtual reality is a hot topic at the moment, and there is a lot of competition,’ Travis said. ‘[Microsoft’s HoloLens team] is very keen for optical engineers,’ adding that this applies in particular to graduates with a knowledge of fabricating nanostructures. The breadth of research carried out by CDT students was evident at the event. Projects included the fabrication of flexible polymer-nanowire solar cells, 3D lidar for scanning the inside of buildings, and bedside neonatal brain imaging as an alternative to MRI. A unique feature of the CDT programme is that although it is a single course, students are taught at both UCL and Cambridge universities. Combining the photonics and electronics expertise of two world-leading universities helps to ensure that students gain the skills to drive the research, development, and commercialisation of photonics systems for use in applications ranging from telecommunications and industrial manufacture, to agriculture and medicine. ‘We have a very large number of research groups, both in Cambridge and UCL. They cover the range of activities from the very materials related to the very systems related,’ said
Professor Alwyn Seeds (UCL), a director of the IPES CDT. ‘We match the programme to the particular needs of the students – if they know all about photonic devices, we don’t encourage them to take more courses in photonic devices; we encourage them to take talks on large scale integration, for example,’ Seeds added. ‘So [students] can gain tools for future research that are much broader than a first degree graduate would typically have.’ The CDT was founded in 2009 as the CDT in Photonic Systems Development, which focused primarily on photonics. However, the course now carries an increased emphasis on the integration of electronic systems. ‘We’re trying to improve overall
Professor Alwyn Seeds (UCL), a director of the IPES CDT, addresses the audience at the Integrated Photonic and Electronic Systems Industry Day
systems capacity – over the years it has become increasingly clear that, more and more, electronics is being integrated into photonics, and vice versa,’ said Professor Richard Penty, also an IPES CDT director, at the event. ‘Systems is very much a part of it – we shouldn’t just be concentrating on science or physics, but we should be bringing everything together in a system.’ The event also presented an opportunity to discuss how the centre should continue its research. The audience was asked about the types of new technologies and unsolved problems that PhD students should look to research and develop. Tom Empson, senior consultant for Cambridge Consultants, pointed out that the company has a very strong interest in breakthrough products in the consumer sector. He suggested looking into free space optical communication, for example LiFi – a light technology that enables internet speeds 100 times faster than WiFi. He went on to say that LiFi devices would not only be useful for homes, but also for places such as airports where there is no GPS signal. Dr Helen Swygart from Qioptiq also expressed
a desire for research into gradient index lenses, whereas BT’s Andrew Lord suggested developing cost-effective, ultra-high bandwidth optical fibres for distances of 25-30km. Other suggestions from industry members included remote powering of 100W devices, and filters that are more stable – and with a narrower spectral range – than existing products. l
@electrooptics |
www.electrooptics.com
Centre for Doctoral Training /UCL / Cambridge University
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56