"Making light work of the internet": an Inaugural Lecture by Prof Andrew Ellis

Description

How does the internet work? We think about tablets, smart phones and computers, but they are all connected together by optical fibre. This lecture will examine the history and future of optical communications, tracing its evolution from Greek mythology to the immense web of fibres used today to transport information ranging from social media to financial transactions, from entertainment to government systems.

However it's a victim of its own success, significant problems lie just around the corner and we shall investigate their causes, and discuss potential solutions, and likely outcomes if solutions are not found.

Andrew is Professor of Optical Communications. Before pursuing a career in academia, he previously worked for British Telecom Research Laboratories as a Senior Research Engineer. He is a member of the Institute of Physics, the Optical Society of America and the Institute of Engineering Technology, and is a Chartered Physicist. He has published over 150 journal papers and over 24 patents in the field of Photonics.

Period	11 May 2015
Held at	Aston University