News

October 2024

• 

  Professor Boon Ooi elected Fellow of the American Physical Society

  3 min read · Mon, Oct 28 2024

  biophotonics semiconductor laser

  KAUST Professor Boon S. Ooi has been elected an APS Fellow for pioneering work in semiconductor photonics integration and laser technology.

August 2024

• 

  Powering the future of the Internet of Things

  1 min read · Wed, Aug 28 2024

  News Clip News

  A self-powered system that combines high-speed data transfer with continuous energy harvesting is set to revolutionize the Internet of Things.

July 2023

• 

  KAUST Ph.D. student Omar Alkhazragi awarded 2023 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship

  1 min read · Sun, Jul 16 2023

  News

  KAUST Ph.D. student Omar Alkhazragi has been awarded a 2023 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship by the international society for optics and photonics, SPIE.

April 2023

• 

  They Got Dye With A Little Help From Their Friends

  1 min read · Tue, Apr 18 2023

  News

  An industrial wastewater research problem shared is a problem halved, shows a multiteam project.

March 2023

• 

  Reduced speckle on the horizon

  1 min read · Mon, Mar 20 2023

  News

  A simple modification of a semiconductor laser's shape can improve the quality of its beam. Mar 19, 2023
• 

  Detecting Tiny Tremors For Big Impact

  1 min read · Wed, Mar 8 2023

  News

  Islam Ashry recently undertook a field trial in north-western Saudi Arabia that is likely to have implications for the Kingdom’s date industry. Ashry, a research scientist at KAUST, spent a week collecting data from an optical fiber wrapped around many date palms at TADCO farm in Tabuk. The aim was to detect what one Saudi official called a hidden and deadly enemy. The red palm weevil ( Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) arrived in Saudi Arabia from tropical Asia in the 1980s, most likely on a cargo ship. This tiny beetle has had a long reach, spreading to Europe, North Africa, the Caribbean and

February 2023

• 

  Dr. Islam Ashry named a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors

  1 min read · Thu, Feb 16 2023

  News

  Dr. Islam Ashry, a research scientist based in the KAUST Photonics Laboratory, has been named to the National Academy of Inventors’ 2023 class of Senior Members. Ashry will be officially inducted as a Senior Member at the 12th NAI Annual Meeting, which will take place from June 26-27, 2023, in Washington D.C., U.S.

January 2023

• 

  KAUST researchers win 2022 International Date Palm Innovative Technology Excellence Prize

  1 min read · Tue, Jan 17 2023

  Awards News

  KAUST researchers Dr. Islam Ashry, Dr. Chun Hong Kang and Professor Boon S. Ooi were part of a team that recently won the 2022 International Date Palm Innovative Technology Excellence Prize from the National Center for Palm and Dates (NCPD).

December 2022

• 

  KAUST Professor Boon S. Ooi named Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow

  1 min read · Wed, Dec 7 2022

  News

  KAUST Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Boon S. Ooi was recently named as an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow, effective January 1, 2023. Professor Ooi was elected for his "contributions to broadband light emitters and visible light communications," the IEEE stated.

October 2022

• 

  Becoming a powerhouse of semiconductor expertise

  1 min read · Tue, Oct 25 2022

  News

  advanced semiconductors

  KAUST Compound Semiconductor Weekend brought together a diverse group of experts to discuss the most important research areas of semiconductor technology and the substantial compound semiconductor work done in Saudi Arabia and India.

May 2022

• 

  Fiber glow brings more go for underwater communications

  1 min read · Tue, May 24 2022

  News

  communications material science flexible electronics electrical engineering

  KAUST scientists have developed an optical-based wireless network system that has significant potential for faster underwater optical communications.

February 2022

• 

  IEEE Photonics Technology Letters Editorial by Prof. Boon S. Ooi

  1 min read · Tue, Feb 1 2022

  News

  ​IEEE Photonics Technology Letters published an editorial by Prof. Boon S. Ooi as the new Editor in Chief on February, 2022. "PTL has been serving the photonics research community for 33 years. As the fourth oldest journal in the field of optics and photonics, the journal has been the premier source of up-to-date information for photonic devices, systems, and applications. Moving on, the PTL Editorial Board will continue to work hard on upholding its reputation as a renowned Letter recognized for publication “Excellence” and “Impact.” Other than the present scope, to serve a broader community

November 2021

• 

  Professor Ooi appointed Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Photonics Technology Letters

  1 min read · Wed, Nov 24 2021

  News

  optics photonics

  KAUST Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Boon S. Ooi has been appointed Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of the IEEE Photonics Technology Letters beginning January 1, 2022.

September 2021

• 

  From KAUST Impact: Saving the Kingdom’s Crops

  1 min read · Mon, Sep 27 2021

  News

  The 2021 Spring Issue of KAUST Impact featured an article highlighting the KAUST Photonics Lab's effort "to alleviate the negative impacts the pest is having on Saudi Arabia’s date industry." "Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s leading producers of dates, with a 20% share of global production. In addition to being a major source of economic revenue, the fruit holds a distinct place in the Kingdom’s traditions and culture: a date palm features prominently on the country’s coat of arms. However, this iconic plant faces a growing threat from the red palm weevil, a 2- to 4-cm beetle originating
• 

  The space-age tech we need to save our planet

  1 min read · Wed, Sep 15 2021

  News

  ​An article published in GreenBiz on September 15, 2021, by Prof. Boon S. Ooi and Prof. Carlos Duarte discusses the disparity between the capabilities of technology in space exploration and oceanic exploration. "We witness entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk and Sir Richard Branson, competing in the space exploration race, and indeed it is likely that the impetus to innovate must come from the minds of bold innovators rather than governments. Who among us is bold enough to help ocean exploration make the quantum leaps necessary to catch up with space exploration?" Click the link below to access
• 

  Giant clam inspired photo-conversion highlighted by Photonics Focus

  1 min read · Wed, Sep 1 2021

  News

  Giant clam inspired photo-conversion for high-speed communication work highlighted in the September issue of Photonics Focus Magazine. "Reporting in Optical Materials Express, the researchers peg their interest on the intensifying need for high-capacity optical communication links as the Internet of Things undergoes explosive growth. The iridocytes' natural ability to manipulate light, including UV wavelengths, is tantalizing to the researchers because the higher- frequency light can accommodate high-bandwidth optical communications and data transfer.​" The article can be accessed through the

August 2021

• 

  Semipolar photodetector for visible-light communication work awarded IOP Top Cited Paper Award

  1 min read · Fri, Aug 13 2021

  News

  ​The semipolar micro-photodetector used for gigabit-per-second visible-light communication (VLC) paper has been awarded an IOP Publishing Top Cited Paper Award (Saudi Arabia). It received the award in recognition of it being "one of the most cited articles from Saudi Arabia published across the entire IOP Publishing journal portfolio in 2020." The picture below is of the received certificate. The paper, which demonstrates the advantages of using the semipolar crystal orientation in fabricating photodetectors, was published in Applied Physics Express in 2020 and can be accessed through the link
• 

  Outstanding KAUST research acknowledged by leading photonics journal

  1 min read · Sun, Aug 8 2021

  News

  optics photonics photodetector optical engineering Optical wireless communications radio frequency communication

  KAUST professors Boon Ooi and Osman Bakr and their respective research groups have recently had their collaborative research recognized by one of the major journals for optics and photonics, Light: Science & Applications (LSA). The teams’ paper— titled "High-speed color-converting photodetector with all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals for ultraviolet light communication—" was awarded as an “Outstanding Paper of Light: Science & Applications in 2020.”

July 2021

• 

  KAUST researchers attend 70th Lindau Nobel Meeting

  1 min read · Wed, Jul 14 2021

  News

  Each year, young scientists from around the world get the coveted opportunity to learn from Nobel laureates as part of the annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. Traditionally held in the small German town and island of Lindau, this year's 70th edition of the Lindau Meeting is taking place virtually, June 27-July 2, 2021, on account of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
• 

  Optical Wireless Communication Using Fused Fiber-Optic Tapers Work Listed as an OSA Top Downloaded Paper

  1 min read · Wed, Jul 7 2021

  News

  The paper "​Wide-field-of-view optical detectors using fused fiber-optic tapers​," published in Optics Letters in April 2021, has been listed in the Top 5 most downloaded papers across all OSA Publishing journals for two consecutive months (April and May 2021). With around 7,000 downloads, the paper was listed as the #1 most downloaded paper in Optics Letters in the same period. The paper is still listed in the top downloaded Optics Letters papers for the third consecutive month. This work explores the practicality of using fused fiber-optic tapers in optical wireless communication. It

June 2021

• 

  Chun Hong Kang receives SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship

  1 min read · Thu, Jun 3 2021

  News

  optics photonics

  Chun Hong Kang, a Ph.D. student in the KAUST Photonics Laboratory, has been awarded a 2021 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship by SPIE for his “potential contributions to the field of optics and photonics.”

May 2021

• 

  The KAUST Photonics Lab wins HSE Laboratory Safety Recognition Award

  1 min read · Sun, May 23 2021

  News

  The KAUST Photonics Laboratory, led by Professor Boon Ooi, has been awarded the KAUST Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Department’s Safety Culture Award in recognition of the Lab's tremendous growth in terms of safety throughout the year with a focus on collaboration, working as a team, caring for others and motivating others to be safe.

April 2021

• 

  Chun Hong Kang Selected as an IOP Publishing Outstanding Reviewer

  1 min read · Mon, Apr 19 2021

  News

  Chun Hong Kang has been seleced by the editorial team of Semiconductor Science and Technology as an IOP Publishing "Outstanding Reviewer" for the year 2020 "in recognition of the high quality and timeliness of reviews during the year". The selection process is done "based on the quality, quantity and timeliness of their reviews." For more: https://publishingsupport.iopscience.iop.org/questions/reviewer-awards/

March 2021

• 

  Huafan Zhang's tutorial article was selected as an Editor's Pick

  1 min read · Fri, Mar 26 2021

  News

  Huafan Zhang, a Ph.D. student at KAUST Photonics Laboratory recently published her comprehensive tutorial article in AIP's Journal of Applied Physics. The article titled "InGaN-based nanowires development for energy harvesting and conversion applications" was selected as the Editor's Pick.​ ​ The tutorial "teaches the essential development of nitrogen-plasma-assisted molecular-beam-epitaxy grown InGaN nanowires as an application-inspired platform for energy harvesting and conversion applications by growing dislocation- and strain-relieved axial InGaN-based nanowires." The article is featured

February 2021

• 

  Tien Khee Ng recognized as IET and IOP Fellow

  1 min read · Tue, Feb 23 2021

  News

  Dr. Tien Khee Ng, principal research scientist, electrical and computer engineering, has been recently recognized as a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (IOP).

December 2020

• 

  Spotlight summary by Prof. Boon S. Ooi on high performance of a semipolar InGaN laser with a phase-shifted embedded hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) grating

  1 min read · Thu, Dec 17 2020

  News

  The Optical Society (OSA) published a spotlight summary by Prof. Boon S. Ooi on an article entitled "high performance of a semipolar InGaN laser with a phase-shifted embedded hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) grating," which was recently published in Optics Letters.
• 

  Tien Khee Ng was elected Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET, formally FIEE)

  1 min read · Thu, Dec 17 2020

  News

  Dr. ​Tien Khee Ng has been elected Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET, formally FIEE). The fellow membership is awarded to "the high achievers – those respected professionals at the forefront of engineering, technology or cognate disciplines." It is the highest grade of IET membership.
• 

  Lasers: Accelerating Visible Light Communication

  1 min read · Mon, Dec 14 2020

  News

  "​THERE IS GREAT DEAL going for the use of light for wireless communication. Compared with the standard radio frequency bands employed by mobile devices, the bandwidth is unlicensed and more than a thousand times greater. However, despite these merits, it's not to say that it has to be one technology or the other. Far better is a future that sees light-based wireless communication merge with existing technologies operating in the radio and millimetre-wave regime to spawn a synergic scheme that drives a new era for connectivity."

August 2020

• 

  Meet KAUST prospective student: Bárbara Nicoly M. Oliveira

  1 min read · Wed, Aug 26 2020

  News

  Underwater communication

  Bárbara Nicoly M. Oliveira is an electrical engineering graduate from the Federal University of Campina Grande, Brazil. Bárbara will join KAUST this fall as a M.S./Ph.D. candidate and member of the Photonics Laboratory under the supervision of Professor Boon Ooi.

July 2020

• 

  Jorge Holguín-Lerma receives 2020 IEEE Photonics Society Graduate Student Scholarship

  1 min read · Sun, Jul 12 2020

  News

  Laser Diodes GaN

  KAUST Ph.D. student Jorge Holguín-Lerma has recently been named a recipient of the 2020 IEEE Photonics Society Graduate Student Scholarship. Holguín-Lerma was one of only ten students worldwide to receive the Society’s most competitive scholarship for graduate students in photonics. The award acknowledges both his work at KAUST and the potential impact of his future research.

May 2020

• 

  Light sensors detect larval pests munching on date palms

  1 min read · Mon, May 4 2020

  News

  electrical engineering food security sensors

  Optical fibers wrapped around date palm trunks could help detect this tree’s most destructive pest early enough to save it.

March 2020

• 

  KAUST Ph.D. student takes home SPIE Photonics West 2020 Best Student Paper Award

  1 min read · Thu, Mar 12 2020

  News Spotlight

  Optical communications

  The International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) recently awarded KAUST Ph.D. student Jorge Holguín-Lerma with the SPIE Photonics West 2020 Optical Communications Best Student Paper Award.

February 2020

• 

  KAUST Professor Boon S. Ooi elected Fellow of U.S. National Academy of Inventors

  1 min read · Sun, Feb 2 2020

  Spotlight News

  By Caitlin Clark, KAUST News KAUST Professor of Electrical Engineering Boon S. Ooi was recently elected as a Fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Election as a Fellow means a researcher has "demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development and welfare of society," NAI stated. Outstanding achievements This year, 168 individuals were elected to Fellow status. Six individuals from the 2019 class previously received the U.S. National Medal of

January 2020

• 

  A pure twist on optical data transfer

  1 min read · Thu, Jan 16 2020

  News

  communications electrical engineering bioscience

  The finding that light can be twisted very precisely may offer fresh options for communications infrastructure.

November 2019

• 

  Malleswararao Tangi Awarded the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers

  1 min read · Wed, Nov 20 2019

  News

  ​Malleswararao Tangi Receives the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers.
• 

  Nasir Alfaraj's Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

  1 min read · Mon, Nov 11 2019

  News

  Study on ​Deep-Ultraviolet Optoelectronic Devices Enabled by the Hybrid Integration of Next-Generation Semiconductors and Emerging Device Platforms

October 2019

• 

  Latifah Al maghrabi's Master's Thesis Defense

  1 min read · Thu, Oct 24 2019

  News

  Study of PA-MBE grown III-nitride nanowires for strain engineering optoelectronics, nano-energy harvesting devices and piezotronics.​​​
• 

  Chao Shen awarded a 2017 Young Professional Travel Grant from IEEE Photonics Society

  1 min read · Wed, Oct 23 2019

  News

  Chao Shen awarded a 2017 Young Professional Travel Grant from IEEE Photonics Society.
• 

  Hybrid integration of materials for ultraviolet detection

  1 min read · Sun, Oct 20 2019

  News

  Semiconductors are pervasive in consumer electronics and optoelectronics, and the related optical devices are deemed disruptive that Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014 was awarded to the inventors of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which “has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources”. While AlInGaN-based lasers and LEDs, and silicon-based photodetectors are currently matured, unconventional usage based on the materials has demonstrated their further potential, including solar-hydrogen generation, indoor-horticulture, and high-speed communication. By combining the optical
• 

  A cool alternative to air conditioning

  1 min read · Wed, Oct 9 2019

  News

  energy security electrical engineering

  An inexpensive passive cooling technology could be used to cool buildings in cities, reducing energy consumption.

September 2019

• 

  Aditya Prabaswara's Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

  1 min read · Thu, Sep 12 2019

  News

  ​Study of III-nitride Nanowire Growth and Devices on Unconventional Substrates​

July 2019

• 

  Fatimah Alhawaj Wins the Top Scientific Paper Award of the SRSI Program

  1 min read · Tue, Jul 30 2019

  News

  Fatimah Alhawaj, a visiting student in the Photonics Lab from the Saudi Research Science Institute (SRSI), won the Top Scientific Paper Award of the SRSI 2019 program for her paper entitled "Group-III Nitride Micro-Photodetector for High-Speed Visible Light Communication Link".
• 

  Davide Priante's Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

  1 min read · Tue, Jul 30 2019

  News

  Ultraviolet (UV) group III-Nitride-based light emitters have been used in various applications such as water purification, medicine, lighting, and chemical detection. Despite attractive properties such as bandgap tunability in the whole UV range (UV-C to UV-A), high chemical stability and relative low cost, the low quantum efficiency hamper the full utilization. In fact, external quantum efficiencies of UV devices are below 10 % for emission wavelength shorter than 350 nm.
• 

  Yuan Mao elevated to the rank of Senior Member of IEEE

  1 min read · Fri, Jul 5 2019

  News

  ​​Congratulations to Dr. Yuan Mao on his elevation to the grade of IEEE Senior member.​​​​

June 2019

• 

  KAUST Ph.D student, Jorge A. Holguin-Lerma, awarded 2019 SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship

  1 min read · Tue, Jun 11 2019

  Awards News Spotlight

  Visible light communications Photonic IC Laser Diodes III-Nitride Optoelectronics

  SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recently awarded KAUST Ph.D. student Jorge Holguín-Lerma a 2019 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship for his potential research contributions to optics, photonics or other related fields. Holguín-Lerma joined KAUST in August 2016 and is a member of Professor Boon S. Ooi's Photonics Laboratory.
• 

  Compound Semiconductor features “Narrowing the linewidth of the green laser”

  1 min read · Sat, Jun 1 2019

  News

  ​Narrowing the linewidth of the green laser was featured in the June issue Compound Semiconductor Magazine.​

May 2019

• 

  Semiconductor Today features “Distributed feed-back gratings for indium gallium nitride laser diodes”

  1 min read · Fri, May 3 2019

  News

  Distributed feedback gratings for indium gallium nitride laser diodes” was featured in the May issue of Semiconductor Today Magazine.

April 2019

• 

  Islam Ashry elevated to the rank of Senior Member of IEEE

  1 min read · Mon, Apr 22 2019

  News

  ​​​Congratulations to Dr. Islam Ashry on his elevation to the grade of IEEE Senior member.​​​​

March 2019

• 

  EE Graduate Seminar: Visible light communication

  1 min read · Sun, Mar 31 2019

  News

  A ​seminar by Dr. Guangyu Liu on Visible light communication​
• 

  EE Graduate Seminar by Dr. Islam Ashry

  1 min read · Sun, Mar 3 2019

  News

  Optical fiber sensors possess numerous advantages including immunity to electromagnetic interference, harsh environment operation, and miniature size. One attractive category of them is the distributed optical fiber sensors which can measure several parameters, such as temperature and vibration, along the entire. Such distributed optical fiber sensors are used in a myriad of important applications such as oil and gas industry, real-time structural health monitoring, and aerospace transportation, among others. In this talk, we summarize the operation principles of the optical fiber distributed