Glasgow University Professors John H. Marsh and Catrina Bryce from the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering have been jointly awarded the 2006 IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society's (LEOS) Engineering Achievement Award. As a further credit to Professor Marsh, he has also been awarded the 2006 IEEE/LEOS Distinguished Service Award ﾖ it is very unusual for one person to receive both awards.

Professors Marsh and Bryce have collaborated on research into photonic integration since 1986 and this award was achieved by their 'extensive development and commercialisation of quantum well intermixing for photonic devices". As a result of their work Glasgow University has established a world ﾖleading reputation for photonic integration.

Professor Marsh, who is also Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Glasgow University spin-out company Intense Ltd., received his second award for "major contributions to LEOS governance and for leadership in promoting the development of LEOS as a global society.'

Professors Marsh and Bryce will be recognized for their technical achievements at LEOS 2006, the 19th Annual Meeting of the IEEE/LEOS, to be held 29 October - 2 November, 2006 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Professor Marsh said: 'I am honored to receive these distinguished awards. I have dedicated my academic and industrial careers to creating innovative, opto-electronic technologies. Quantum Well Intermixing is the culmination of years of research and has led to the development of a radical new architecture for monolithic semiconductor laser arrays that significantly increases power and reliability, and reduces costs for a wide range of applications in digital printing, defense, and manufacturing.'

Professor Bryce added: 'It is a wonderful honour to receive this recognition from our colleagues for doing the work that we love doing. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the efforts of the research students and research assistants working together in a creative environment that encourages the successes that we have enjoyed.'

Kate Richardson (K.Richardson@admin.gla.ac.uk)

For more information please contact the University of Glasgow?s Media Relations Office on 0141 330 3683 or email K.Richardson@admin.gla.ac.uk

Quantum Well Intermixing
Quantum Well Intermixing (QWI) allows the properties of a semiconductor Quantum Well structure to be modified. Multiple optical functions can be integrated monolithically. QWI is used to create waveguides inside the laser cavities adjacent to each facet. This leads to better electro-optical performance and allows large numbers of lasers to be manufactured in parallel, on the same chip, with industry-leading yield.

First published: 31 October 2006