Distinguished Optics Leader Joins PhotonEx as Chief Scientist; Dr. Curtis Menyuk Brings High Speed Transport Optics and Modeling Expertise to PhotonEx' World Class Team.Business/Technology Editors BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2001 PhotonEx Corporation, a developer of services-aware photonic backbone systems for the core public services Public services is a term usually used to mean services provided by government to its citizens, either directly (through the public sector) or by financing private provision of services. network, today announced the appointment of Dr. Curtis R. Menyuk as Chief Scientist. Dr. Menyuk will help drive the commercialization of PhotonEx' advanced optical innovations, including the company's smart photonic system which will start with 40 Gbps line speeds, span distances from hundreds to thousands of kilometers and provide the highest deployable capacity and flexibility in a single system. "Dr. Menyuk's proven ability to bring advanced optics knowledge to commercial deployment closely resonates with the PhotonEx team," said Dr. Kristin Rauschenbach, co-founder, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , PhotonEx. "In addition, his unique expertise in high speed optics and modeling builds upon PhotonEx' strategy to give service providers the speed, distance, capacity and flexibility to optimize their existing networks." Dr. Menyuk brings over 15 years of optical communications Optical communications The transmission of speech, data, video, and other information by means of the visible and the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. experience to PhotonEx, including pioneering research in WDM (1) (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) A technology that uses multiple lasers and transmits several wavelengths of light (lambdas) simultaneously over a single optical fiber. system modeling. His work has concentrated on optical fiber nonlinearities and polarization mode dispersion Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) is a form of modal dispersion where two different polarizations of light in a waveguide, which normally travel at the same speed, travel at different speeds due to random imperfections and asymmetries, causing random spreading of optical pulses. (PMD (Polarization Mode Dispersion) The type of dispersion that occurs in singlemode fiber due to a lack of perfect symmetry in the fiber and from external pressures on the cable. Light travels over singlemode fiber in two polarization states. ). Understanding these effects and how to compensate for them is critical to the design of next-generation transport systems. Dr. Menyuk's advanced modeling research allows service providers to consider the effects of integrating new equipment in an existing network environment, prior to actual deployment. His innovative modeling approaches further strengthen PhotonEx' ability to support service providers with the essential planning tools used to maximize system performance. In addition, Dr. Menyuk's high data rate fiber communications research reinforces PhotonEx' commitment to deliver the fastest core photonic systems to ensure that core transmission channel rates are faster than the access interfaces, enabling faster, easier provisioning across the network. Dr. Menyuk has led several projects exploring nonlinear optics, which involve new techniques to increase the transparent distance for an optical data signal and to balance and compensate for the various effects that distort an optical signal as it propagates. This approach supports PhotonEx' strategy to cost-effectively paint the public network backbone at the fastest channel speeds, without trade-offs in speed or distance. "I chose to join PhotonEx for two reasons: the people and the technology. The company has an amazing roster of talent that has successfully commercialized leading edge technology in the past and has now joined PhotonEx under Dr. Rauschenbach's leadership," said Dr. Menyuk. "By coupling that team with a technology that starts at 40 Gbps, PhotonEx has the right equation for commercial success." Dr. Menyuk currently serves as the Director of Optical Networking at the Department of Defense Laboratory for Telecommunications Sciences. This research laboratory was created for Department of Defense scientists to collaborate with industry and university experts regarding advanced optical networking technologies. Earlier in his career, Dr. Menyuk was the founding member of the Electrical Engineering Department at University of Maryland, Baltimore University of Maryland, Baltimore, (also known as UMB) was founded in 1807. It is one of the oldest universities in the United States and comprises some of the oldest professional schools in the nation and world. County (UMBC UMBC University of Maryland Baltimore County UMBC Urban Mobility Breacher's Course ) and its first head. He has participated in collaborative projects with organizations such as the Naval Research Laboratory Noun 1. Naval Research Laboratory - the United States Navy's defense laboratory that conducts basic and applied research for the Navy in a variety of scientific and technical disciplines NRL , AT&T Bell Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory: see Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. (body) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory - (LLNL) A research organaisatin operated by the University of California under a contract with the US Department of Energy. , and Science Applications International Corporation. He is a member of the scientific advisory board of Virtual Photonics, Inc. and Phaethon Communications, Inc. Dr. Menyuk is a UMBC Presidential Research Professor, Fellow of the Optical Society of America The Optical Society of America (OSA) is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of worldwide research, scientific publishing, conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and the (OSA 1. OSA - Open Scripting Architecture. 2. OSA - Open System Architecture. ), and Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York, www.ieee.org) A membership organization that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics and allied fields. ). Dr. Menyuk is currently on leave from UMBC where he serves as Professor in the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from M.I.T. and his Ph.D. from U.C.L.A. in the areas of theoretical plasma physics and nonlinear dynamics. About PhotonEx Corporation PhotonEx Corporation (www.photonex.com) is a new developer of services-aware optical backbone systems for the core of the public telecommunications network. Purpose-built to deliver an uncompromising combination of system speed, distance, capacity and flexibility, PhotonEx' smart photonic systems will lead the service provider migration from the explosive capacity demands of today to the undefined services of tomorrow. Founded in September 1999, the company is led by a team of renowned scientists and business executives formerly of M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory, Nortel Networks, and Lucent Technologies - a seasoned group bringing real science and service provider deployment experience to today's market complexities. Headquartered in Bedford, MA, PhotonEx has a team of over 170 employees, who bring the unique knowledge base of forward-thinking optical innovation and carrier-class product development expertise required for building next-generation core networks. Privately-held PhotonEx received $88 million in first-and second-round equity financing Equity Financing The act of raising money for company activities by selling common or preferred stock to individual or institutional investors. In return for the money paid, shareholders receive ownership interests in the corporation. from venture and strategic investors, including Oak Investment Partners, Matrix Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners, Essex Investment Management, the Photonics Fund, and Intel Capital. Note: PhotonEx is a trademark of PhotonEx Corporation. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. |
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