TMCnet News
Bell Labs researcher wins optical networking award; Randy Giles becomes 11 th Bell Labs recipient of Tyndall Award(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Paris -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) today announced that Randy Giles, director of the optical subsystems and advanced photonics department at Bell Labs the company's research arm, has received the 2010 John Tyndall Award, one of the most prestigious commendations in the optical telecommunications community. The award, co-sponsored by the Optical Society (OSA) and the IEEE Photonics Society, recognizes Giles for 'seminal contributions to advanced lightwave communications networks'. These contributions include: Erbium-doped fiber amplifier: a device that takes advantage of the unique properties of erbium to amplify light signals in optical fibers directly without first requiring conversion to an electrical signal. Fiber Bragg grating-based subsystems: filters used to stabilize laser wavelengths and to select signal channels in wavelength-division multiplexed optical transport systems. MEMS cross-connects: applies Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS), a technology that enables integration of optical components and systems in compact and low-cost form, to a device that switches high-speed optical signals in a fiber optic network. Named for the 19th century scientist who first demonstrated the phenomenon of internal reflection, the Tyndall Award recognizes an individual who has made pioneering, highly significant, or continuing technical or leadership contributions to fiber optics technology. Of the 24 Tyndall Awards given since the program's inception in 1987, nearly half have been accorded scientists who made their award-winning discoveries and innovations while at Bell Labs. Including Giles, Bell Labs researchers have won the Tyndall Award four years in a row. Recent winners include: Joe C. Campbell (2009), former photonic device scientist, Robert W. Tkach (2008), director of transmissions systems research, Emmanuel Desurvire (2007), former senior director of photonic technologies within Alcatel-Lucent's optics activities. 'This outstanding accomplishment is a testament to the calibre of researchers and the quality of research for which Bell Labs is renowned,' said Jeong Kim, Bell Labs president. 'This has been a big year for Bell Labs researchers who have been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in the industry - the Nobel Prize in Physics, the Marconi Award, and the Sumner Award to name just a few.' Dr. Giles is a graduate of the universities of Victoria (BSc Physics 1976, MSc Physics 1978) and Alberta (PhD Electrical Engineering 1983) in Canada. Before joining Bell Laboratories in 1986, Dr. Giles worked on Nortel's first gigabit optical transmission systems. During the course of Dr. Giles' career, he has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to advancing optical networking. In 2008 Dr. Giles was honored by the Finnish government as Millennium Technology Prize laureate for development of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier. He was named a Bell Laboratories fellow in 2001 and was presented the Fraunhofer Award & Burley Prize from the Optical Society in 2004 and the Discover Award in 2000 for invention of the MEMS-based optical cross-connect switch. Dr. Giles is a fellow of the Optical Society. About Alcatel-Lucent Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is the trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 16.98 billion in 2008 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2010 M2 COMMUNICATIONS |