Colloquia & Guest Speakers

Photonic Integrated Circuits & the Convergence of Electronics and Photonics Manufacturing Technologies

Thomas L. Koch, University of Arizona

Monday, January 26, 2015
3 p.m.–4 p.m.

Goergen 101, Sloan Auditorium

Abstract:

Photonic Integrated Circuits are transitioning to a role as the only viable technology for an increasing number of photonics solutions.  This talk aims to capture the current status of PIC technologies, and discusses the potential for exciting advances that will become possible by leveraging not only the front-end tools for VLSI manufacturing, but the back-end tools as well.

Bio:

Thomas L. Koch is Dean of the College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona, where he is also Professor of Optical Sciences and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  He received his BA in physics in 1977 from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in applied physics in 1982 from the California Institute of Technology studying under Amnon Yariv.  Koch joined UA from Lehigh University, where he was Director of the Center for Optical Technologies and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics.

Prior to his academic roles, Koch held Vice President positions at SDL, Lucent, and Agere Systems, where he was responsible for Research and Development of materials, device and subsystem technologies supporting optical, optoelectronic, and IC products.  In his many years as a researcher at Bell Laboratories, his work focused on semiconductor lasers, photonic integrated circuits, and their implementation in optical communications systems. He has 37 issued patents, and has authored more than 350 journal, conference, and book publications, including co-editing the widely-read two-volume book, “Optical Fiber Telecommunications III”, and has delivered more than 65 plenary, invited, tutorial, and short course presentations.

Koch has received numerous recognitions for his work in photonic integrated circuits and optoelectronics technologies, including the IEEE’s Eric E. Sumner Award, and the William Streifer and Distinguished Lecturer Awards from IEEE LEOS.  Koch is a Fellow of Bell Labs, the OSA, and the IEEE, a life member of SPIE, and a member of the US National Academy of Engineering where he is currently Chair of the Electronics, Communication and Information Systems Engineering section.  He has also served in many professional society leadership roles, on many National Academy and government laboratory or agency review panels, as well as many domestic and international advisory boards for both public and private sector enterprises.