Abu Dhabi-UAE: 5 April, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced a scientific paper co-authored by its faculty has become one of the top 10 most downloaded articles in ‘Optics Express’, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Optical Society of America.
The faculty includes Dr. Anatoly Khilo, Dr Mike Perrott and Dr Marcus Dahlem, all professors in the Microsystems Engineering Master’s program at Masdar Institute. The paper titled ‘Photonic ADC: overcoming the bottleneck of electronic jitter’ presents research where photonics and electronics are integrated on the same platform, in order to achieve high-performance and low-power novel devices and functionalities that would not be possible with traditional electronic circuits. In this particular case, photonics can be used to greatly expand the capabilities of conventional electronic analog-to-digital converters.
The article on the ‘Optics Express’ journal entered the top 10 most downloaded list in February 2012 itself, the same month it was published, reiterating the high impact of the research that is being conducted at Masdar Institute. The work presented at the paper was done by faculty and personnel from higher education institutions and major corporations including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Germany’s Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, DESY & University of Hamburg, University of Colorado in Boulder, and BBN Technologies at Cambridge in Massachusetts as well as Intel Corp and Samsung Corp.
This is the second time the prestigious journal has published a paper from Masdar Institute faculty. Earlier in June 2011, Dr. Clara Dimas, another Microsystems Engineering Professor at Masdar Institute, and her former student Faleh Al Tal, published a paper titled ‘Simulation of an erbium-doped chalcogenide micro-disk mid-infrared laser source’. The paper was co-authored by faculty from the Microphotonics Center at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Delaware. It covered Dr. Clara Dimas’s work on the low-energy fabrication and integration of light sources onto silicon and sensor electronics, as photonic integrated circuits for low-power sensing, telecommunications and computing requires light sources.
Dr Fred Moavenzadeh said: “The extent of interest shown by the scientific community in the paper co-authored by our faculty indicates the advanced research work that is being conducted at Masdar Institute. It reiterates that Masdar Institute participates in research activities that are relevant to Abu Dhabi and the UAE, concurring with the long-term objectives in advanced technology as spelled out in the Vision 2030 plan.
“This published paper fits into one of the three main research themes of Masdar Institute. Research of this stature keeps us among the top echelons of higher education institutions and we thank the country’s wise leadership for their special guidance that continues to steer us towards higher accomplishments.”
The prestigious Optics Express journal has a sizeable impact factor and is read by a large segment of the scientific community conducting research in optics and photonics. It publishes original research papers that report new developments of interest in optical science and technology. Papers published in Optics Express are also often cited in other journals.
Dr Dahlem said: “This feat firmly places Masdar Institute along with other institutions on the map for advanced research in the field of electronic-photonic integrated circuits. Photonics research in this field began last year at the research-driven institution in Abu Dhabi and the publishing of our paper as well as the previous one in June 2011 reflect the advanced research being conducted at Masdar Institute, similar to other global institutions.
“The work was primarily done at MIT and now similar work will be continued at Masdar Institute. In addition, Masdar Institute is listed on paper as one of the current affiliations of the authors, alongside renowned global brands such as Intel and Samsung.”
Electronic-photonic integrated circuit is a leading edge research area that is aligned with interests expressed by the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) and the Semiconductor Research Centre (SRC). Research papers such as the one published on Optics Express are also expected to give Masdar Institute better leverage in attracting funding for establishing a semiconductor research center.
Established as an ongoing collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, working to develop the critical thinkers and leaders of tomorrow. With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
