|
Southampton scientist Professor David
Payne, co-founder of Southampton Photonics at Southampton Science Park,
has been recognised for his outstanding work in fibre optics by being
awarded one of Europe's top technology awards. Professor Payne, Director
of the Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton,
is to receive the Basic Research Award of the Eduard Rhein Foundation.
The award is in recognition of Professor Payne's work in developing the
Erbium-Doped Fibre Amplifier (EDFA) - the enabling technology for
today's fibre optic telecommunications networks and the Internet.
Edmund Stoiber, the Minister President of Bavaria will make the presentation,
at a ceremony in the Hall of Fame at the Deutsches Museum in Munich in
October. David Payne is renowned for his work in the field of optical
fibre communication and has won several awards for the invention of the
EDFA - including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin medal in the USA.
Professor Payne is Chairman of Southampton Photonics, which he
co-founded in February 2000. With initial funding of GBP37m, Southampton
Photonics is one of the UK's leading suppliers of next-generation
fibre-based components and subsystems for the worldwide optical
networking marketplace.
"Receiving this award is wonderful news for
fibre optics," said Professor Payne. "The award recognises the work we
have done in designing and developing photonic amplifiers. We are
continuing to work on further developments in fibre optics within
Southampton Photonics with a view to becoming a highly recognised
producer of fibre optic components in a global market."
|
