The optical telecommunications sector took a giant leap forward between the mid-1980s and 1990s. During this period, devices called erbium-doped fibre amplifiers (EDFAs) were born, revolutionizing the world of long-distance communications and benefiting people worldwide.

The innovators behind the EDFA are Professor Emmanuel Desurvire, Dr. Randy Giles and Professor David Payne. Professor Payne at the University of Southampton and Professor Desurvire and Dr. Giles, both of whom were then working at Bell Labs, reported the first results of optical signal amplification in EDFAs, developed new computer models in order to optimize EDFA performance, and addressed a myriad of engineering challenges to make EDFAs practical. These outstanding technologists are to be thanked for the broadband Internet and voice connections that enable communications among people worldwide.

Emmanuel Desurvire has returned to France and is working as the head of Thales’ physics research unit in Palaiseau near Paris. "Research people are very hard to manage in a conventional sense, but I think I’m quite good at it, because I was once one of them. It’s very exciting to be in a position where I can inspire and motivate new generations of researchers."

Randy Giles continues to work at Bell Labs, now part of Alcatel-Lucent, and has achieved many advances in laser technology - including the first practical optical switch. One of his current projects is an ultra-small projector based on three small laser diodes.

David Payne is currently a director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton in the UK. One of the world’s leading institutes for photonics research, ORC will be moving into a brand new building in the near future to replace an earlier lab that was destroyed by fire some years ago.


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Optical amplifier in wikipedia