TRANSNET researcher recognised as a Young Scholar by the Marconi Society
Ronit Sohanpal, TRANSNET researcher, has been selected as one of the winners of the 2023 Paul Baran Young Scholar Award for advancing innovative research in the field of information and communications.
Named after 1991 Marconi Fellow Paul Baran, the annual Young Scholar Award launched in 2008 and celebrates the world’s most innovative young engineers in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Presented to researchers who are 27 years old or younger to commemorate Guglielmo Marconi’s age when he made his first successful wireless transmission, this award recognises scientists and engineers who have shown extraordinary technical acumen, creativity and promise for using ICT in service of digital inclusion.
The Marconi Society regards this award to be a unique honour for the Young Scholars, their nominators, and their universities, with the selection process for the award known to be extremely competitive. The three awardees this year have been selected based on their dedication to advancing communications technology and solving some of the world's most pressing challenges.
Ronit, who is a PhD student in the Optical Networks Group, said: “I am honoured to receive this recognition from the Marconi Society. The Society's mission to advance digital inclusion is truly admirable and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors Dr Zhixin Liu and Professor Polina Bayvel, as well as everyone at the Optical Networks Group and the EEE department, for their incredible support throughout my PhD.”
Ronit’s main research focus lies in the field of nonlinear optics. His research primarily involves looking at how novel materials and waveguides (like silicon core fibre) can be used to generate nonlinear frequency combs with low noise. His work has led to the advancements of nonlinear optical combs for ultrawideband optical transmission and the development of novel silicon core fibre. In addition to advancing modern telecommunications networks, Ronit is a firm believer in fostering equitable digital practices and aims to bridge the digital divide and promote access to information and resources.
His supervisor, Dr Zhixin Liu, said: “Ronit is one of our most talented young researchers bridging metrology and signal processing techniques to overcome the challenges in optical communications. The winning of the Paul Baran Young Scholar Award is a testament to his dedication and outstanding contribution to the world of communication. Well-deserved!”
As a PhD candidate, Ronit has published his award-winning work in influential journals such as Nature and has presented his work in leading conferences in the field of optical communications, for example, OFC and ECOC. In 2021, his paper ‘Parametric Frequency Comb Generation Using Silicon Core Fiber’ was shortlisted as a finalist for the prestigious Corning Outstanding Student Paper Competition.
This year, the Paul Baran Young Scholar recipients will be formally inducted into the Marconi Society at their annual awards ceremony, held at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, on October 27, 2023. They will be celebrated alongside 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and the 2023 Marconi Prize recipient.