The Optical Society of America and Bookham New Focus Announce Finalists for Student Award; Students from Around the World to Compete for a $5,000 Prize Recognizing Outstanding Scientific Achievements at the 2006 CLEO/QELS Conference.

WASHINGTON -- The Optical Society of America (OSA) and Bookham New Focus today announced the finalists of the 2006 OSA - Bookham New Focus Student Award, which recognizes student researchers who exemplify the skills critical to scientific achievement: excellence in research, presentation and leadership.

This year's competition attracted more than 30 submissions from a variety of prominent colleges and universities, both in the United States and abroad. Competition finalists include:

--Andrew M. C. Dawes, Duke University

--Jonathan A. N. Fisher, University of Pennsylvania 

--Di Liang, University of Notre Dame

--Yi-Hsin Lin, University of Central Florida 

--Virginia O. Lorenz, JILA, University of Colorado and NIST 

--Iva Maxwell, Harvard University

--Babak Momeni, Georgia Institute of Technology 

Six of the seven finalists will each receive a $1,500 cash prize and the top-ranked finalist will receive $5,000.

"The OSA - Bookham New Focus awards are designed to highlight students who are among the elite in research excellence, presentation prowess, and leadership in the optics community among OSA Student Members," said Elizabeth Rogan, OSA Executive Director. "We are always encouraged by the number of students involved at such a high level in optics and photonics research. These seven finalists represent a very promising future for our field."

Student finalists have already passed the first round of judging, which included a thorough review of their research as well as their reference letters. The seven finalists will now be evaluated on oral presentations of their research at the 2006 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO)/ Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (QELS), taking place May 21-26 at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California. Each of the seven will give a 15-minute presentation on his or her unique research, providing the judges with the last review in the selection process. Press and the public are welcome to attend this event, with the finalist reception on Monday, May 22 starting at 5:30 p.m. in room 103 B/C in the Long Beach Convention Center. The finalist will be awarded a $5,000 prize on Wednesday morning, May 24 at the CLEO/QELS Awards & Plenary Session.

"Through its support of student research in photonics, the Bookham New Focus award, in its 9th year, continues to foster the next generation of scientists and leadership in the field," said Dr. Herman Chui, Director of Marketing for New Focus, a division of Bookham. "We are delighted to partner again with OSA to recognize student leaders within the photonics community and we look forward to honoring them at the conference."

This year's finalists will present their original papers on the following topics:

Andrew M. C. Dawes, Duke University

Improving the bandwidth of SBS-based slow-light delay

Summary: Frequency modulating the pump laser in SBS slow-light delay systems increases the effective Brillouin bandwidth by nearly two orders of magnitude, making the fiber Brillouin amplifier technique applicable to all-optical controllable delay of Gb/s data.

Jonathan A. N. Fisher, University of Pennsylvania

Linear and non-linear microscopy of neuronal activity in vitro and in vivo 

Summary: Report three-dimensional imaging of neuronal electrical activity via one- and two-photon fluorescence microscopy. The measurements represent an important step toward in vivo measurement of functioning complex neural networks.

Di Liang, University of Notre Dame

GaAs-based high-index-contrast integrated optoelectronics

Summary: GaAs-based high efficiency edge-emitting lasers and low-loss passive ridge waveguides are demonstrated using a novel, self-aligned fabrication process, potentially enabling high-indexcontrast integrated optoelectronics for ultra-low scattering loss ring resonators and other integrated photonics applications.

Yi-Hsin Lin, University of Central Florida

Polarization-independent liquid crystal phase modulator with a large phase shift and low operating voltage

Summary: A polarization-independent liquid crystal phase modulator with a large phase shift and low operating voltage is demonstrated for the first time. Two orthogonal liquid crystal layers are separated by an ultra-thin anisotropic polymer film which exhibits an excellent molecular alignment capability.

Virginia O. Lorenz, JILA, University of Colorado and NIST

Three-pulse photon echo peak shift measurements in dense potassium vapor

Summary: Three-pulse photon echo peak shift measurements in dense potassium vapor reveal an exponential peak shift, justifying an exponential two-time correlation function of frequency fluctuations, which is commonly assumed for more complex condensed phased systems.

Iva Maxwell, Harvard University

Sub-cellular nanosurgery in live cells using ultrashort laser pulses

Summary: We use femtosecond laser pulses to probe the mechanical properties of cells via subcellar nanosurgery of the acting network in live cells. We investigated the further use of high repetition rate laser systems for minimally disruptive live cell nanosurgery.

Babak Momeni, Georgia Institute of Technology

Compact photonic crystal superprism demultiplexers based on diffraction compensation

Summary: The superprism effect is one of unique dispersive properties of PCs that has been proposed for integrated wavelength demultiplexing. However, diffraction of separated wavelength channels has been a main drawback in such PC demultiplexers. We demonstrate in this talk new compact PC demultiplexers by combining diffraction compensation and the superprism effect with better resolution, smaller size, lower crosstalk, and less demanding requirements on the input beam compared to other proposed PC demultiplexers. PC devices demonstrated experimentally here have at least one order of magnitude better performance compared to other reported demonstrations of PC superprism-based demultiplexing.

About CLEO/QELS

With a distinguished history as one of the industry's leading events on laser science, the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and the Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference (CLEO/QELS) is where laser technology was first introduced. CLEO/QELS combines the strength of peer-reviewed scientific programming with an applications-focused exhibition to showcase the present and future of this technology. Sponsored by the American Physical Society's (APS) Laser Science Division, the Institute of Electronic Engineers/Laser and Electro-Optics Society (IEEE/LEOS) and the Optical Society of America (OSA), CLEO/QELS provides an educational forum, complete with a dynamic Plenary, short courses, tutorials, workshops and more, on topics as diverse as its attendee base whose broad spectrum of interests range from biomedicine to defense to optical communications and beyond. For more information, visit the conference's Web site at www.cleoconference.org.

About Bookham New Focus

Bookham, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKHM) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of optical components, modules and subsystems. The company's optical components, modules and subsystems are used in various applications and industries, including telecommunications, data communications, aerospace, industrial and military. Since 2002, the company has acquired the optical components businesses from Nortel Networks and Marconi, as well as Ignis Optics, Inc., the business of Cierra Photonics Inc., New Focus, Inc., and Onetta, Inc. The company has manufacturing facilities in the UK, US, Canada, China and Switzerland; and offices in the US, UK, Canada, France and Italy and employs approximately 2000 people worldwide.

Since 1990 New Focus, a division of Bookham, has been a leader in innovative photonics solutions for the semiconductor, life sciences, defense, industrial, test and measurement and research markets. The New Focus product portfolio includes tunable lasers, optoelectronics, optomechanics and advanced photonics tools and subsystems.

More information on Bookham, Inc. is available at www.bookham.com and www.newfocus.com.

Bookham and all other Bookham, Inc. product names and slogans are trademarks or registered trademarks of Bookham, Inc. in the USA or other countries.

About OSA

Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2006, the Optical Society of America (OSA) brings together an international network of the industry's preeminent optics and photonics scientists, engineers, educators, technicians and business leaders. Representing over 14,000 members from more than 80 different countries, OSA promotes the worldwide generation, application and dissemination of optics and photonics knowledge through its meetings, events and journals. Since its founding in 1916, OSA member benefits, programming, publications, products and services have set the industry's standard of excellence. Additional information on OSA is available on the Society's Web site at www.osa.org.