A trio of world-renowned researchers will be the plenary speakers for the 2020 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), the world’s largest conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals, held 8 – 12 March 2020 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California, U.S.A.
These visionary speakers include Sir David Payne (shown above), director of the Optoelectronics Research Center, University of Southampton, U.K.; Dr. Qi Bi, chief technology officer of the China Telecom Research Institute, Beijing; and Dr. Karsten Danzmann, managing director of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Germany. Their respective talks will cover the future of silica as a pillar of telecommunication technology, the development and realization of 5G wireless networks, and new horizons in gravitational-wave astrophysics.
The Plenary session at the 2020 Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) will be held in the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California, U.S.A.on Tuesday, 10 March 2020, 8 a.m. PDT
Plenary 1: Prof. Sir David Payne
In his presentation titled “Is there a future for silica as an optical material?” Sir David Payne, director of the Optoelectronics Research Center at the University of Southampton, U.K., will discuss how photonics has changed our lives by powering the optical fiber internet, as well as an entire generation of high-power lasers. Optical fibres carry terabits of data per second in a vast information network that brings untold human connectivity. But capacity demand continues to grow at a startling rate. Will the “wonder material” silica remain a pillar of telecommunications as demand continues to grow? Or will alternative fiber designs be the solution? And what of the fiber laser? Will it too prove infinitely scalable?
Plenary 2: Dr. Qi Bi
Dr. Bi is the chief expert of China Telecom and the CTO of Beijing Research Institute. In these dual roles, he leads research and development activities that pertain to wireless communications. In his talk, “5G Evolution: Challenges and Opportunities,” Bi will share his current experience in the forefront of 5G innovations and discuss progress and deployment of 5G technologies and standards in the China telecommunications industry.
Plenary 3: Dr. Karsten Danzmann
The science of astrophysics is entering a new era thanks to what is known as “multi-messenger” observations—the combination of gravitational-wave detections from ground-based facilities like LIGO and Virgo with traditional telescopes that observe the entire electromagnetic spectrum. In his talk, “The Challenge and Impact of Detecting Ripples in Spacetime,” Dr. Danzmann of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics will discuss how he and his colleagues played a key role in the first gravitational-wave detections and are now working on novel technology for an even more sensitive third generation of gravitational-wave detector.
Registration Information
Conference registration opens December 2019. Register before 10 February 2020 and save on a full technical conference pass.
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