Boon Ooi

November 2025

• 

  Innovative research earns Islam Ashry election as Fellow of the Institute of Physics

  3 min read · Thu, Nov 20 2025

  Awards News

  Optical sensors Fiber-optic sensors optical communication machine learning

  Dr. Islam Ashry has been elected Fellow of the Institute of Physics in recognition of his impactful photonics-based research.
• 

  Saudi Food Futures Forum: KAUST making desert agriculture sustainable

  1 min read · Wed, Nov 12 2025

  News Clip News

  KAUST’s Saudi Food Futures Forum brings together scientists, industry and policymakers to drive sustainable desert agriculture and food security in Saudi Arabia.

August 2025

• 

  Micro-LEDs boost random number generation

  1 min read · Mon, Aug 18 2025

  Micro-LEDs GaN nanophotonics

  Intensity fluctuations from miniature LEDs provide ultrafast generation rates.

July 2025

• 

  Driving KSA’s semiconductor innovation future

  1 min read · Thu, Jul 3 2025

  News Clip Spotlight News

  advanced semiconductors optoelectronics semiconductor power electronics

  KAUST Ph.D. alum Dr. Nasir Alfaraj, recipient of the Ibn Rushd Fellowship, is advancing semiconductor tech, fueling progress toward Vision 2030.

May 2025

• 

  Saudi research institutes achieve record-breaking performance in data security

  1 min read · Tue, May 27 2025

  News Clip News Press Releases

  quantum computing data security microelectronics advanced semiconductors QRNG Micro-LEDs

  A new quantum random number generator is almost 1000 times faster than other generators and much smaller, promising to change data management and cybersecurity in several industries including health, finance and defense

October 2024

• 

  Professor Boon Ooi elected Fellow of the American Physical Society

  3 min read · Mon, Oct 28 2024

  biophotonics semiconductor laser

  KAUST Professor Boon S. Ooi has been elected an APS Fellow for pioneering work in semiconductor photonics integration and laser technology.

August 2024

• 

  Powering the future of the Internet of Things

  1 min read · Wed, Aug 28 2024

  News Clip News

  A self-powered system that combines high-speed data transfer with continuous energy harvesting is set to revolutionize the Internet of Things.

December 2023

• 

  Leading the drive to achieve a digitally connected world

  3 min read · Wed, Dec 13 2023

  News

  Exploring the potential of 6G technology, the 4th KAUST 6G Summit brought together experts to discuss super-connectivity, closing the digital divide, and driving digital inclusion in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

November 2023

• 

  Paper accepted in IEEE Photonics Journal!

  1 min read · Fri, Nov 24 2023

  News

  A brief account of photonics research activities in the selected countries in the Middle East and Africa is presented in this article. Though not comprehensive, we hope to provide a glimpse of the research landscape in the region, and the collaboration and connection with each other and the international partners.

July 2023

• 

  KAUST Ph.D. student Omar Alkhazragi awarded 2023 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship

  1 min read · Sun, Jul 16 2023

  News

  KAUST Ph.D. student Omar Alkhazragi has been awarded a 2023 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship by the international society for optics and photonics, SPIE.

April 2023

• 

  They Got Dye With A Little Help From Their Friends

  2 min read · Tue, Apr 18 2023

  News

  An industrial wastewater research problem shared is a problem halved, shows a multiteam project.

March 2023

• 

  Reduced speckle on the horizon

  2 min read · Mon, Mar 20 2023

  News

  A simple modification of a semiconductor laser's shape can improve the quality of its beam. Mar 19, 2023
• 

  Detecting Tiny Tremors For Big Impact

  3 min read · Wed, Mar 8 2023

  News

  Islam Ashry recently undertook a field trial in north-western Saudi Arabia that is likely to have implications for the Kingdom’s date industry. Ashry, a research scientist at KAUST, spent a week collecting data from an optical fiber wrapped around many date palms at TADCO farm in Tabuk. The aim was to detect what one Saudi official called a hidden and deadly enemy. The red palm weevil ( Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) arrived in Saudi Arabia from tropical Asia in the 1980s, most likely on a cargo ship. This tiny beetle has had a long reach, spreading to Europe, North Africa, the Caribbean and

January 2023

• 

  KAUST researchers win 2022 International Date Palm Innovative Technology Excellence Prize

  3 min read · Tue, Jan 17 2023

  Awards News

  KAUST researchers Dr. Islam Ashry, Dr. Chun Hong Kang and Professor Boon S. Ooi were part of a team that recently won the 2022 International Date Palm Innovative Technology Excellence Prize from the National Center for Palm and Dates (NCPD).

December 2022

• 

  KAUST Professor Boon S. Ooi named Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow

  2 min read · Wed, Dec 7 2022

  News

  KAUST Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Boon S. Ooi was recently named as an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow, effective January 1, 2023. Professor Ooi was elected for his "contributions to broadband light emitters and visible light communications," the IEEE stated.

May 2022

• 

  Fiber glow brings more go for underwater communications

  1 min read · Tue, May 24 2022

  News

  communications material science flexible electronics electrical engineering

  KAUST scientists have developed an optical-based wireless network system that has significant potential for faster underwater optical communications.

February 2022

• 

  IEEE Photonics Technology Letters Editorial by Prof. Boon S. Ooi

  1 min read · Tue, Feb 1 2022

  News

  ​IEEE Photonics Technology Letters published an editorial by Prof. Boon S. Ooi as the new Editor in Chief on February, 2022. "PTL has been serving the photonics research community for 33 years. As the fourth oldest journal in the field of optics and photonics, the journal has been the premier source of up-to-date information for photonic devices, systems, and applications. Moving on, the PTL Editorial Board will continue to work hard on upholding its reputation as a renowned Letter recognized for publication “Excellence” and “Impact.” Other than the present scope, to serve a broader community

November 2021

• 

  Professor Ooi appointed Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Photonics Technology Letters

  1 min read · Wed, Nov 24 2021

  News

  optics photonics

  KAUST Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Boon S. Ooi has been appointed Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of the IEEE Photonics Technology Letters beginning January 1, 2022.

September 2021

• 

  From KAUST Impact: Saving the Kingdom’s Crops

  1 min read · Mon, Sep 27 2021

  News

  The 2021 Spring Issue of KAUST Impact featured an article highlighting the KAUST Photonics Lab's effort "to alleviate the negative impacts the pest is having on Saudi Arabia’s date industry." "Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s leading producers of dates, with a 20% share of global production. In addition to being a major source of economic revenue, the fruit holds a distinct place in the Kingdom’s traditions and culture: a date palm features prominently on the country’s coat of arms. However, this iconic plant faces a growing threat from the red palm weevil, a 2- to 4-cm beetle originating
• 

  The space-age tech we need to save our planet

  1 min read · Wed, Sep 15 2021

  News

  ​An article published in GreenBiz on September 15, 2021, by Prof. Boon S. Ooi and Prof. Carlos Duarte discusses the disparity between the capabilities of technology in space exploration and oceanic exploration. "We witness entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk and Sir Richard Branson, competing in the space exploration race, and indeed it is likely that the impetus to innovate must come from the minds of bold innovators rather than governments. Who among us is bold enough to help ocean exploration make the quantum leaps necessary to catch up with space exploration?" Click the link below to access
• 

  Giant clam inspired photo-conversion highlighted by Photonics Focus

  1 min read · Wed, Sep 1 2021

  News

  Giant clam inspired photo-conversion for high-speed communication work highlighted in the September issue of Photonics Focus Magazine. "Reporting in Optical Materials Express, the researchers peg their interest on the intensifying need for high-capacity optical communication links as the Internet of Things undergoes explosive growth. The iridocytes' natural ability to manipulate light, including UV wavelengths, is tantalizing to the researchers because the higher- frequency light can accommodate high-bandwidth optical communications and data transfer.​" The article can be accessed through the

August 2021

• 

  Outstanding KAUST research acknowledged by leading photonics journal

  2 min read · Sun, Aug 8 2021

  News

  optics photonics photodetector optical engineering Optical wireless communications radio frequency communication

  KAUST professors Boon Ooi and Osman Bakr and their respective research groups have recently had their collaborative research recognized by one of the major journals for optics and photonics, Light: Science & Applications (LSA). The teams’ paper— titled "High-speed color-converting photodetector with all-inorganic CsPbBr3 perovskite nanocrystals for ultraviolet light communication—" was awarded as an “Outstanding Paper of Light: Science & Applications in 2020.”

June 2021

• 

  Chun Hong Kang receives SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship

  1 min read · Thu, Jun 3 2021

  News

  optics photonics

  Chun Hong Kang, a Ph.D. student in the KAUST Photonics Laboratory, has been awarded a 2021 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship by SPIE for his “potential contributions to the field of optics and photonics.”

May 2021

• 

  The KAUST Photonics Lab wins HSE Laboratory Safety Recognition Award

  1 min read · Sun, May 23 2021

  News

  The KAUST Photonics Laboratory, led by Professor Boon Ooi, has been awarded the KAUST Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Department’s Safety Culture Award in recognition of the Lab's tremendous growth in terms of safety throughout the year with a focus on collaboration, working as a team, caring for others and motivating others to be safe.

April 2021

• 

  Chun Hong Kang Selected as an IOP Publishing Outstanding Reviewer

  1 min read · Mon, Apr 19 2021

  News

  Chun Hong Kang has been seleced by the editorial team of Semiconductor Science and Technology as an IOP Publishing "Outstanding Reviewer" for the year 2020 "in recognition of the high quality and timeliness of [his] reviews during the year". The selection process is done "based on the quality, quantity and timeliness of their reviews." For more: https://publishingsupport.iopscience.iop.org/questions/reviewer-awards/

March 2021

• 

  Huafan Zhang's tutorial article was selected as an Editor's Pick

  1 min read · Fri, Mar 26 2021

  News

  Huafan Zhang, a Ph.D. student at KAUST Photonics Laboratory recently published her comprehensive tutorial article in AIP's Journal of Applied Physics. The article titled "InGaN-based nanowires development for energy harvesting and conversion applications" was selected as the Editor's Pick.​ ​ The tutorial "teaches the essential development of nitrogen-plasma-assisted molecular-beam-epitaxy grown InGaN nanowires as an application-inspired platform for energy harvesting and conversion applications by growing dislocation- and strain-relieved axial InGaN-based nanowires." The article is featured

December 2020

• 

  Spotlight summary by Prof. Boon S. Ooi on high performance of a semipolar InGaN laser with a phase-shifted embedded hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) grating

  1 min read · Thu, Dec 17 2020

  News

  The Optical Society (OSA) published a spotlight summary by Prof. Boon S. Ooi on an article entitled "high performance of a semipolar InGaN laser with a phase-shifted embedded hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) grating," which was recently published in Optics Letters.
• 

  Lasers: Accelerating Visible Light Communication

  1 min read · Mon, Dec 14 2020

  News

  "​THERE IS GREAT DEAL going for the use of light for wireless communication. Compared with the standard radio frequency bands employed by mobile devices, the bandwidth is unlicensed and more than a thousand times greater. However, despite these merits, it's not to say that it has to be one technology or the other. Far better is a future that sees light-based wireless communication merge with existing technologies operating in the radio and millimetre-wave regime to spawn a synergic scheme that drives a new era for connectivity."

August 2020

• 

  Meet KAUST prospective student: Bárbara Nicoly M. Oliveira

  2 min read · Wed, Aug 26 2020

  News

  Underwater communication

  Bárbara Nicoly M. Oliveira is an electrical engineering graduate from the Federal University of Campina Grande, Brazil. Bárbara will join KAUST this fall as a M.S./Ph.D. candidate and member of the Photonics Laboratory under the supervision of Professor Boon Ooi.

July 2020

• 

  Jorge Holguín-Lerma receives 2020 IEEE Photonics Society Graduate Student Scholarship

  1 min read · Sun, Jul 12 2020

  News

  Laser Diodes GaN

  KAUST Ph.D. student Jorge Holguín-Lerma has recently been named a recipient of the 2020 IEEE Photonics Society Graduate Student Scholarship. Holguín-Lerma was one of only ten students worldwide to receive the Society’s most competitive scholarship for graduate students in photonics. The award acknowledges both his work at KAUST and the potential impact of his future research.

June 2020

• 

  Angling for underwater WiFi

  2 min read · Wed, Jun 10 2020

  News

  communications Computer science

  Scuba divers could send sea life shots in real time using an aquatic internet service.

May 2020

• 

  Light sensors detect larval pests munching on date palms

  1 min read · Mon, May 4 2020

  News

  electrical engineering food security sensors

  Optical fibers wrapped around date palm trunks could help detect this tree’s most destructive pest early enough to save it.

March 2020

• 

  The power of light for internet of underwater things

  2 min read · Thu, Mar 19 2020

  News

  underwater sensor IoT

  Light can simultaneously transfer energy and data to underwater devices, but there’s a long way to go before these systems can be deployed.
• 

  KAUST Ph.D. student takes home SPIE Photonics West 2020 Best Student Paper Award

  2 min read · Thu, Mar 12 2020

  News Spotlight

  Optical communications

  The International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) recently awarded KAUST Ph.D. student Jorge Holguín-Lerma with the SPIE Photonics West 2020 Optical Communications Best Student Paper Award.

February 2020

• 

  Dynamic early research career leads to distinguished Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellowship

  4 min read · Thu, Feb 13 2020

  News

  Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellow

  KAUST postdoctoral fellow Abderrahmen Trichili recently became a Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellow after being accepted to a Marie Skłodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme in Photonics and Applications.
• 

  KAUST Professor Boon S. Ooi elected Fellow of U.S. National Academy of Inventors

  1 min read · Sun, Feb 2 2020

  Spotlight News

  By Caitlin Clark, KAUST News KAUST Professor of Electrical Engineering Boon S. Ooi was recently elected as a Fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Election as a Fellow means a researcher has "demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development and welfare of society," NAI stated. Outstanding achievements This year, 168 individuals were elected to Fellow status. Six individuals from the 2019 class previously received the U.S. National Medal of

January 2020

• 

  A pure twist on optical data transfer

  1 min read · Thu, Jan 16 2020

  News

  communications electrical engineering bioscience

  The finding that light can be twisted very precisely may offer fresh options for communications infrastructure.

November 2019

• 

  Malleswararao Tangi Awarded the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers

  1 min read · Wed, Nov 20 2019

  News

  ​Malleswararao Tangi Receives the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers.
• 

  Nasir Alfaraj's Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

  1 min read · Mon, Nov 11 2019

  News

  Study on ​Deep-Ultraviolet Optoelectronic Devices Enabled by the Hybrid Integration of Next-Generation Semiconductors and Emerging Device Platforms

October 2019

• 

  Latifah Al maghrabi's Master's Thesis Defense

  2 min read · Thu, Oct 24 2019

  News

  Study of PA-MBE grown III-nitride nanowires for strain engineering optoelectronics, nano-energy harvesting devices and piezotronics.​​​
• 

  Chao Shen awarded a 2017 Young Professional Travel Grant from IEEE Photonics Society

  1 min read · Wed, Oct 23 2019

  News

  Chao Shen awarded a 2017 Young Professional Travel Grant from IEEE Photonics Society.
• 

  Hybrid integration of materials for ultraviolet detection

  1 min read · Sun, Oct 20 2019

  News

  Semiconductors are pervasive in consumer electronics and optoelectronics, and the related optical devices are deemed disruptive that Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014 was awarded to the inventors of blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which “has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources”. While AlInGaN-based lasers and LEDs, and silicon-based photodetectors are currently matured, unconventional usage based on the materials has demonstrated their further potential, including solar-hydrogen generation, indoor-horticulture, and high-speed communication. By combining the optical
• 

  A cool alternative to air conditioning

  1 min read · Wed, Oct 9 2019

  News

  energy security electrical engineering

  An inexpensive passive cooling technology could be used to cool buildings in cities, reducing energy consumption.

September 2019

• 

  Aditya Prabaswara's Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

  1 min read · Thu, Sep 12 2019

  News

  ​Study of III-nitride Nanowire Growth and Devices on Unconventional Substrates​

July 2019

• 

  Fatimah Alhawaj Wins the Top Scientific Paper Award of the SRSI Program

  1 min read · Tue, Jul 30 2019

  News

  Fatimah Alhawaj, a visiting student in the Photonics Lab from the Saudi Research Science Institute (SRSI), won the Top Scientific Paper Award of the SRSI 2019 program for her paper entitled "Group-III Nitride Micro-Photodetector for High-Speed Visible Light Communication Link".
• 

  Davide Priante's Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

  2 min read · Tue, Jul 30 2019

  News

  Ultraviolet (UV) group III-Nitride-based light emitters have been used in various applications such as water purification, medicine, lighting, and chemical detection. Despite attractive properties such as bandgap tunability in the whole UV range (UV-C to UV-A), high chemical stability and relative low cost, the low quantum efficiency hamper the full utilization. In fact, external quantum efficiencies of UV devices are below 10 % for emission wavelength shorter than 350 nm.
• 

  Yuan Mao elevated to the rank of Senior Member of IEEE

  1 min read · Fri, Jul 5 2019

  News

  ​​Congratulations to Dr. Yuan Mao on his elevation to the grade of IEEE Senior member.​​​​

June 2019

• 

  KAUST Ph.D student, Jorge A. Holguin-Lerma, awarded 2019 SPIE Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship

  1 min read · Tue, Jun 11 2019

  Awards News Spotlight

  Visible light communications Photonic IC Laser Diodes III-Nitride Optoelectronics

  SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recently awarded KAUST Ph.D. student Jorge Holguín-Lerma a 2019 Optics and Photonics Education Scholarship for his potential research contributions to optics, photonics or other related fields. Holguín-Lerma joined KAUST in August 2016 and is a member of Professor Boon S. Ooi's Photonics Laboratory.
• 

  Compound Semiconductor features “Narrowing the linewidth of the green laser”

  1 min read · Sat, Jun 1 2019

  News

  ​Narrowing the linewidth of the green laser was featured in the June issue Compound Semiconductor Magazine.​

May 2019

• 

  Semiconductor Today features “Distributed feed-back gratings for indium gallium nitride laser diodes”

  1 min read · Fri, May 3 2019

  News

  Distributed feedback gratings for indium gallium nitride laser diodes” was featured in the May issue of Semiconductor Today Magazine.

April 2019

• 

  Islam Ashry elevated to the rank of Senior Member of IEEE

  1 min read · Mon, Apr 22 2019

  News

  ​​​Congratulations to Dr. Islam Ashry on his elevation to the grade of IEEE Senior member.​​​​

March 2019

• 

  EE Graduate Seminar: Visible light communication

  1 min read · Sun, Mar 31 2019

  News

  A ​seminar by Dr. Guangyu Liu on Visible light communication​
• 

  EE Graduate Seminar by Dr. Islam Ashry

  1 min read · Sun, Mar 3 2019

  News

  Optical fiber sensors possess numerous advantages including immunity to electromagnetic interference, harsh environment operation, and miniature size. One attractive category of them is the distributed optical fiber sensors which can measure several parameters, such as temperature and vibration, along the entire. Such distributed optical fiber sensors are used in a myriad of important applications such as oil and gas industry, real-time structural health monitoring, and aerospace transportation, among others. In this talk, we summarize the operation principles of the optical fiber distributed

February 2019

• 

  Photonics Lab Members Selected for Saudi's Delegation to the 69th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting

  1 min read · Thu, Feb 28 2019

  News

  ​Two Photonics Lab members, Latifah Al Maghrabi and Dr. Abderrhamen Trichili, have been selected for the Saudi delegation to the 69th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting​, which will be held in Lindau, Germany. The meeting will be dedicated ​to physics with an emphasis on laser physics, cosmology, and gravitational waves. More than 40 Nobel Laurea​tes from around the world have confirmed their participation.
• 

  EE Graduate Seminar: Self-Assembled AlGaInN Axial-Nanowires on Unconventional Substrates

  1 min read · Sun, Feb 10 2019

  News

  Group-III nitrides (AlGaInN) feature direct bandgaps covering a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum, making them suitable for solid-state lighting, chemical/biological sensing, water splitting, medical diagnostics, and optical communication. These nanowires defy the conventional crystal/epitaxial growth requirements of lattice-, thermal and crystal-structure-matching, as the nanostructures can be grown strain- and defect-free on various unconventional substrates, such as silicon and metals. The combinatorial choice of composition, layer-structure arrangement and materials (metal

December 2018

• 

  Guangyu Liu elevated to the rank of Senior Member of IEEE

  1 min read · Thu, Dec 27 2018

  News

  Congratulations to Dr. Guangyu Liu on her elevation to the grade of IEEE Senior member. IEEE Senior Membership is an honor bestowed only to those who have made significant contributions to the profession.
• Brighter blue lights for faster communication

  1 min read · Tue, Dec 11 2018

  News

  electrical engineering communications

  High-performance blue-light-emitting diodes could boost white-light, high-speed data transmission.

October 2018

• 

  ​Nasir Alfaraj represents KAUST and Saudi Arabia at the 2018 Chicago Forum on Global Cities

  1 min read · Mon, Oct 8 2018

  News

  Photonics Lab Ph.D. student Nasir Alfaraj was recently selected to represent KAUST and Saudi Arabia at the 2018 Chicago Forum on Global Cities in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.​

August 2018

• 

  Special Section on Semiconductor UV Photonics for SPIE's Journal of Nanophotonics

  2 min read · Wed, Aug 15 2018

  News

  Dr. Tien Khee Ng (KAUST Photonics Laboratory) and Prof. Jianchang Yan (Chinese Academy of Sciences) collaborated in guest-editing the SPIE Journal of Nanophotonics (JNP) Special Section on Semiconductor UV Photonics. The issue comprises 12 accepted articles inclusive of 3 review articles. Special Section Guest Editorial: Semiconductor UV Photonics Tien Khee Ng, and Jianchang Yan J. Nanophoton. 12(4), 043501 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JNP.12.043501 http://hdl.handle.net/10754/628715 Review articles 1. Enhancing the light extraction of AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes in the

July 2018

• 

  Semiconductor Today features "KAUST demonstrates nanowire GRINSCH diode for efficient UV-LED/laser applications"

  1 min read · Mon, Jul 23 2018

  News

  "AlGaN-based light-emitting devices are promising ultraviolet light sources to replace the existing UV gas lasers and UV lamps containing toxic substances (mercury). However, the performance of AlGaN-based UV emitters are limited, and in particular high-power UV laser diodes (emitting below 330nm) have not yet been reported. Moreover, the threshold operating voltages of reported UV laser diodes (>330nm) are quite high, surpassing 25V in lasing mode with high series resistance due to poor hole injection efficiency." "These limitations in device performance are attributed to several factors such

June 2018

• 

  Tien Khee Ng elevated to the rank of Senior Member of the Optical Society (OSA)

  1 min read · Wed, Jun 13 2018

  News

  The Optical Society of America announced​ the approval of Dr. Tien Khee Ng as a new Senior Member. In a statement Ian Walmsley, President of The Optical Society and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, said: "The Optical Society welcomes this year’s Senior Class and congratulates these members for their contributions to our global community."

March 2018

• 

  Semiconductor Today features "Semi-polar III-nitride integration for visible light communication"

  1 min read · Mon, Mar 19 2018

  News

  "Researchers based in Saudi Arabia and USA have used semi-polar indium gallium nitride (InGaN) quantum wells (QWs) to create a laser diode (LD) integrated with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) for visible light communication (VLC), smart lighting, and underwater wireless optical communications (UWOC)." "The team from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) in the USA, and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Saudi Arabia, comments: “Since the on-chip integration of various photonic
• 

  EE Graduate Seminar | AlInGaN Devices for Optical Wireless Communication

  1 min read · Sun, Mar 11 2018

  News

  Optical wireless communication (OWC) has gained its momentum in complementing the role of RF communication. Indoor visible-light communication (VLC), outdoor/terrestrial free-space communication (FSO), and underwater optical wireless communications (UWOC) all uses lasers and light-emitting diodes in realizing high data rate in the Mbit/s to Gbit/sec range. In this talk, we discuss the recent progress in the field of VLC and UWOC, focusing on how researchers capitalize on the advances and innovation in AlInGaN-based devices, to realize compact, small-footprint communication system and
• 

  KAUST Discovery, Phys.org, and eeNews LEDLighting features "Cleaning nanowires to get out more light"

  1 min read · Sun, Mar 4 2018

  News

  "A simple chemical surface treatment improves the performance of nanowire ultraviolet light-emitting diodes." "A technique for reducing the loss of light at the surface of semiconductor nanostructures has been demonstrated by scientists at KAUST." "Some materials can efficiently convert the electrons in an electrical current into light. These so-called semiconductors are used to create light-emitting diodes or LEDs: small, light, energy-efficient, long-lasting devices that are increasingly prevalent in both lighting and display applications." "Postdoc Haiding Sun and his KAUST colleagues

February 2018

• 

  Semiconductor Today features "III-nitride microphotodetector for visible light communication"

  1 min read · Thu, Feb 22 2018

  News

  "KAUST in Saudi Arabia claims a record 3.2 gigabit per second (Gbps) data-rate performance for visible light communications (VLC) at 405nm wavelength. The orthogonal-frequency division multiplex (OFDM) system used an indium gallium nitride multiple quantum well microphotodetector (μPD) receiver and laser diode source with quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) coding." "The researchers want to address the bandwidth and data security challenges for future high-speed mobile Internet, smart traffic, and Internet of Things (IoT). Bandgap limitations make the receiver portion of VLC systems
• 

  UESTC students visit CEMSE Laboratories during a one week Winter Camp at KAUST

  1 min read · Sun, Feb 4 2018

  News

  photonics printable electronics nanoelectronics laser sensors bioimaging biophotonics 3D printing

  Twenty-two undergraduate students from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu, are currently visiting the CEMSE Division as part of one week Winter Camp at KAUST.

December 2017

• 

  KAUST Discovery - Unleashing ultraviolet brings visible improvement

  1 min read · Sun, Dec 10 2017

  News

  Secure optical communication UV Communications

  High-speed communication systems based on ultraviolet radiation are now in sight.

November 2017

• 

  Outreach Seminars at Effat University by Prof. Qiaoqiang Gan and Dr. Tien Khee Ng

  1 min read · Wed, Nov 29 2017

  News

  Prof. Qiaoqiang Gan and Dr. Tien Khee Ng presented research seminars on "Fresh Water Generation Using Solar Energy" and "Research at KAUST Photonics Laboratory".​

October 2017

• 

  Boon Ooi elected a fellow of the Optical Society of America

  1 min read · Thu, Oct 5 2017

  News

  "Boon Ooi, professor of electrical engineering in the University’s Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division, was recently elected as a Fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA)."
• 

  CEMSE’s Professor Boon Ooi appointed Fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA)

  1 min read · Mon, Oct 2 2017

  News

  photonics light fellowship OSA

  Boon Ooi, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of the KACST - Technology Innovation Center for Solid-State Lighting, under the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering Division of KAUST, was recently appointed Fellow of the Optical Society of America (OSA).
• 

  CEMSE's new underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) opens new frontier for off-shore control system

  3 min read · Sun, Oct 1 2017

  News

  Underwater wireless optical communication underwater video transmission

  Billions of liters of fuel travel every day along an intricate network of pipelines. Reports show that 15 thousand kilometers of infrastructure exist worldwide, with more than a third being underwater. Efficient real-time monitoring is the next frontier to achieve improved industrial productivity and prevent environmental accidents.
• 

  OSA Spotlight on Optics features "Continuous-wave optically pumped green perovskite vertical-cavity surface-emitter"

  1 min read · Sun, Oct 1 2017

  News

  "Solution-processed semiconductors have come to rival traditional laser materials at visible wavelengths."

September 2017

• 

  eeNews Europe and Compound Semiconductor features "Researchers prove non line-of-sight UV Li-fi at 71Mbit/s"

  1 min read · Fri, Sep 15 2017

  News

  "Modulating the signal of ultraviolet LED emitting at 294nm, researchers from KAUST have demonstrated a high-speed near-solar-blind communication link with a data rate of 71 Mbit/s. Using UV-B light has several benefits..."
• 

  KAUST Discovery - No strings attached for underwater video system

  1 min read · Thu, Sep 14 2017

  News

  An underwater wireless optical communications system for streaming high-quality, live video.​
• 

  Xiaobin's (PL) paper based on UVB LED communication got accepted by Optics Express!

  1 min read · Wed, Sep 6 2017

  News

  UVB LED

  Xiaobin's (PL) paper based on UVB LED communication got accepted by Optics Express!

August 2017

• 

  KAUST Discovery - Fewer defects from a 2D approach

  1 min read · Sun, Aug 13 2017

  News

  Flatter materials have fewer imperfections, which makes for better solar cells and light sensors.
• 

  Semiconductor Today features "Near-ultraviolet laser diodes powering visible light communication"

  1 min read · Wed, Aug 9 2017

  News

  "First demonstration of near-ultraviolet (NUV) laser diodes (LDs) and red-green-blue (RGB) phosphors for white visible light communication (VLC)."
• 

  Accepted paper at IEEE/OSA Journal of Optical Communications and Networking

  1 min read · Tue, Aug 1 2017

  News

  Underwater wireless optical communication

  A. Halafi, H. Oubei, B. Ooi, and B. Shihada, "Real-time Video Transmission over Different Underwater Wireless Optical Channels using Directly Modulated 520nm Laser Diode", IEEE/OSA Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, Accepted, 2017

June 2017

• 

  Aditya's (PL) paper about nanocluster in III-nitride nanowires gets accepted by the Journal of Nanophotonics!

  1 min read · Tue, Jun 13 2017

  News

  III-nitride nanowires

  Aditya's (PL) paper about nanocluster in III-nitride nanowires gets accepted by the Journal of Nanophotonics!

April 2017

• 

  Tien Khee Ng presented an invited talk "Nanowires for Optoelectronic and Solar Water Splitting Applications" at AOM 2017

  1 min read · Tue, Apr 25 2017

  News

  Tien Khee Ng presented an invited talk and chaired a Micro/nano Optics, Nanophotonics session at the 6th Conference on Advances in Optoelectronics and Micro/Nano-optics at Nanjing, China (April 23-26, 2017).
• 

  Compound Semiconductor and Nanowerk features "KAUST Team Reveals Thermodynamic Disorder In GaN-Based Nanowires"

  1 min read · Tue, Apr 25 2017

  News

  "New study shows the thermodynamic entropy behaviour of InGaN/GaN nanowires." "GaN-based p-i-n power devices based on nanowires are suitable for attenuators, high-frequency switches, as well as photodetector applications. However, non-radiative recombination affects their performance." "Led by Xiaohang Li, Iman S. Roqan, and Boon S. Ooi, the team studied the photoinduced entropy of InGaN/GaN p-i-n double-heterostructure nanowires using temperature-dependent photoluminescence." "They hypothesised that the amount of generated randomness in the InGaN layers in the nanowires eventually increases
• 

  Feeling the heat in cells

  1 min read · Sat, Apr 8 2017

  News

  sensors heat transfer nanomembrane

  New nano-sized sensors provide unprecedented data on how heat diffuses in and out of living cells.
• 

  SCI Chemistry & Industry features "What a bright idea"

  1 min read · Tue, Apr 4 2017

  News

  "Thomas Alva Edison’s incandescent light bulb, patented in 1879, has served us well for more than a century. But, in the modern eco-conscious environment, it is fantastically wasteful – turning 98% of the electricity into heat rather than light." http://www.soci.org/chemistry-and-industry/cni-data/2016/9/what-a-bright-idea

March 2017

• 

  Semiconductor Today features "Semi-polar indium gallium nitride laser diode/waveguide photodiode combo"

  1 min read · Fri, Mar 24 2017

  News

  "Researchers based in Saudi Arabia and USA have integrated a waveguide photodetector (WPD) with a 405nm laser diode (LD) using free-standing semi-polar gallium nitride (GaN) technology." http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2017/mar/kaust_240317.shtml
• 

  EE Graduate Seminar | Towards Efficient Fuel Alternatives: Unbiased Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation from Pure Water using III-Nitride Nanowires

  1 min read · Sun, Mar 19 2017

  News

  By Dr. Mohamed Ebaid: The expected depletion of fossil fuel reserves and its severe environmental impact have emphasized the need for sustainable and clean energy resources. Solar hydrogen generation from water splitting using sunlight and semiconductors is a promising alternative to conventional fossil fuels, which has great potential to relieve energy and environmental issues and bring an energy revolution in a clean and sustainable manner. To be practical, hydrogen production needs to tackle the challenges of high solar-to-hydrogen (STH) energy conversion efficiency and high stability of
• 

  EE Graduate Seminar | Hybrid perovskites: approaches towards green lasing

  1 min read · Sun, Mar 19 2017

  News

  By Dr. Mohd Sharizal Alias: The high optical gain and absorption of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have attracted extensive research for photonic device applications. Using the bromide halide as an example, we present key approaches of our work towards realizing green lasing in hybrid perovskites. The approaches involved determination of optical constants for the hybrid perovskites thin films, understanding the material morphologies, fabrication of photonic nanostructures to reflect and manipulate light emission from the perovskite active media, and enhancing the emission property of the
• 

  Compound Semiconductor features "Researchers Simplify Fabrication Of Nanowire UV-LEDs On Silicon"

  1 min read · Mon, Mar 6 2017

  News

  KAUST team demonstrates dislocation-free AlGaN nanowires that spontaneously coalesce to allow device fabrication without planarization. https://compoundsemiconductor.net/article/101173-Researchers-simplify-fabrication-of-nanowire-UV-LEDs-on-silicon.html

February 2017

• 

  SPIE Newsroom features "Perovskite nanocrystals as color converters for record-breaking visible light communications"

  1 min read · Wed, Feb 22 2017

  News

  Cesium lead bromide perovskite nanocrystals are used to generate white light that can be used as both an efficient lighting source and for ultrafast data transfer. https://doi.org/10.1117/2.1201611.006756
• 

  Laser-Based Horticulture Technology

  1 min read · Sat, Feb 11 2017

  News

  Laser horticulture

  KAUST Innovation & Economic Development technology license and video: A Laser-Based Illumination Technology for Indoor Horticulture Applications.
• 

  Advanced Science News Research Highlight: "Thermal-Transport Biosensor Distinguishes Different Types of Cancer"

  1 min read · Thu, Feb 2 2017

  News

  Biosensors

  "Scientists from KAUST in Saudi Arabia succeeded in differentiating between two different types of cancer (cervical and breast cancers), and also between subtypes of the same cancer (basal and luminal cancer cells) by measuring their thermal-transport properties."

December 2016

• 

  Dr. Khan and KFUPM students visited the Photonics Laboratory

  1 min read · Thu, Dec 8 2016

  News

  The visit was a part of KFUPM EE420 (Optical Fiber Communication) senior level course field trip.
• 

  IEDM 2016 session "Optoelectronic Integration" chaired by Prof. Ooi and Chao Shen presents his work

  1 min read · Tue, Dec 6 2016

  News

  optoelectronics Laser Diodes

  During the 62nd IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) conference 2016 Prof. Ooi chairs a session and Chao Shen presents his work.

November 2016

• 

  Nature Middle East Research: Nanomembrane Biosensor

  1 min read · Wed, Nov 30 2016

  News

  Biosensors

  Nature Middle East Research Highlight: "Sifting through cells using heat"
• 

  UNFCCC Marrakech 2016 COP22

  1 min read · Fri, Nov 18 2016

  News

  Prof. Ooi joined the Saudi Arabia convoy in UNFCCC Marrakech Climate Change Conference 2016. The 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference is held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and is expected to be attended by delegates from 196 countries.

August 2016

• 

  Step into the white light for faster communication

  1 min read · Sat, Aug 13 2016

  News

  electromagnetic waves nanocrystals laser emission data communication

  Nanocrystals that generate white light could help combine lighting and communications systems into one.

July 2016

• 

  Phys.org features "Improved nanoscale patterning using aniodine or xenon difluoride gas"

  1 min read · Mon, Jul 18 2016

  News

  optoelectronic devices

  "A technique developed by scientists at KAUST has made more controlled fabrication of optoelectronic devices produced from a hybrid of organic and inorganic materials possible."
• 

  Nanoscale patterning is better with gas

  1 min read · Sat, Jul 2 2016

  News

  optoelectronics material science and engineering

  Adding a gas enhances the processing of hybrid organic-inorganic materials for improved solar cells.

June 2016

• 

  ACS C&EN, Phys.org, IET E&T, Laser Focus World, OPN, Futurism, AlJazeera, EE Times, Lux Review, and others features "Bandwidth record for data communication using laser-based visible light"

  1 min read · Wed, Jun 15 2016

  News

  Visible light communications

  "In this bandwidth hungry era, there will be a continuous push by consumers for VLC systems with higher bitrates," Ooi said. "We believe that white light generated by semiconductor lasers will one day replace the LED white light bulb for energy-efficient lighting."
• 

  Prof. Boon Ooi and Lab members attended CLEO:2016 in San Jose, USA

  1 min read · Wed, Jun 8 2016

  News

  Prof. Boon Ooi, Chao Zhao, Chao Shen and Hassan Oubei at CLEO:2016 in San Jose, USA.​

May 2016

• 

  Semiconductor Today’s editorial features "Quantum well/barrier intermixing blue-shift of InGaP"

  1 min read · Wed, May 4 2016

  News

  ​KAUST has developed a quantum well intermixing technique to blue-shift indium gallium phosphide (InGaP) quantum well bandgaps to give 628nm red, 602nm orange and 585nm yellow electroluminescence.

April 2016

• 

  Compound Semiconductor Magazine features "Quantum well intermixing: The quest for orange and yellow lasers"

  1 min read · Thu, Apr 28 2016

  News

  LED

  Yellow and orange sources (LED & LD) result from the controlled annealing of phosphide material systems with a dielectric cap.​​
• 

  Nature Index - Making the most of local expertise

  1 min read · Wed, Apr 27 2016

  News

  ​KAUST is starting to play a more domestic role by opening its excellent facilities to researchers from other Saudi Arabian research institutes.
• 

  Taking the heat out of emitters

  1 min read · Sat, Apr 9 2016

  News

  Optical sensors Optical communications

  Semiconductor light-emitting diodes fabricated on a metal substrate are less prone to overheating.

December 2015

• 

  International Year of Light 2015: CEMSE Open Day

  1 min read · Thu, Dec 3 2015

  News

  ​The Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering Division invited the KAUST community to join the celebration for the International Year of Light 2015.​​​​

October 2015

• 

  Nature Photonics features "Optical communications: Underwater link"

  1 min read · Thu, Oct 29 2015

  News

  Congratulation to Hassan Oubei on his recent paper being highlighted in Nature Photonics- 4.8 Gbit/s 16-QAM-OFDM transmission based on compact 450-nm laser for underwater wireless optical communication.

September 2015

• 

  Lasers bridge the rainbow

  1 min read · Sat, Sep 26 2015

  News

  semiconductor laser micrometer-scale lasers

  Subtle changes to the composition of a semiconductor structure enable laser light at colors previously not thought possible.

July 2015

• 

  KAUST-Nobel Laureate Collaboration Bringing Light to the World

  1 min read · Thu, Jul 9 2015

  News

  Boon Ooi, KAUST Professor of Electrical Engineering, Nobel laureate Shuji Nakamura from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) and a team of researchers from King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology (KACST) are working to provide energy-efficient lighting to the world.
• 

  IET Electronics Letters features "Rainbow Bridges" (InGaP/InAlGaP orange laser)

  1 min read · Thu, Jul 9 2015

  News

  The first demonstration of an InGaP/InAlGaP- based orange laser emitting at 608 nm has been reported by the Photonics Laboratory. Using a cost effective approach, the work is aimed at filling a wavelength gap in the visible spectrum for commercial semiconductor lasers, enabling a wide range of uses including lighting and VLC.
• 

  The Orange Laser

  1 min read · Tue, Jul 7 2015

  News

  optics photonics

  In the last issue of Electronics Letters of 9th July 2015 Vol.51 No.14 a team of researchers coordinated by Prof. Boon Ooi, director the Photonics Laboratory at King Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST), presented a phosphide-based laser structure that can operate in the orange wavelengths at room temperature.

May 2015

• 

  KAUST-IEMN Workshop on Nanotechnology and Photonics 2015

  1 min read · Wed, May 6 2015

  News

  The objective of the joint KAUST-IEMN/UVHC workshop is to provide a forum for interaction between the leading scientists who are at the cutting edge of nanotechnology and photonics, and the faculty at KAUST and other institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The workshop is supported in part by KAUST and IEMN/UVHC

April 2015

• 

  Semiconductor Today’s editorial features "Red lasers from III-nitride nanowire forests on silicon"

  1 min read · Wed, Apr 29 2015

  News

  nanowires

  Researchers in USA and Saudi Arabia have been producing 610nm-wavelength red lasers with III-nitride nanowires grown on silicon. With a view to plastic fiber optical communication, potential applications include mobile projectors, head-up displays in automobiles, and photodynamic therapy. Production on silicon promises lower-cost production and mass manufacturing.
• 

  Boon S. Ooi presents a talk at the 3rd SIECPC 2015​

  1 min read · Tue, Apr 28 2015

  News

  ​​Head of the Photonics lab Boon S. Ooi presents a talk at the 3rd Saudi International Electronics, Communications and Photonics Conference (SIECPC) 2015​, held at KACST, Riyadh during April 27-28, 2015.
• 

  Special Speaker Prof. Elhadj Dogheche from Institute of Electronic Microelectronic & Nanotechnology IEMN CNRS, University of Valenciennes France.

  1 min read · Mon, Apr 27 2015

  News

  MOCVD

  It was our honor to have the special speaker Prof. Elhadj Dogheche from Institute of Electronic Microelectronic and Nanotechnology IEMN CNRS, University of Valenciennes France to give us a presentation on New Generation on Gallium Nitride based High Speed Photonic Devices in the 216th Journal Club Meeting.​​

March 2015

• 

  A different kind of light

  1 min read · Sat, Mar 28 2015

  News

  light lightfest-2015 laser LED electrical engineering

  The discovery of the incandescent light bulb has transformed human existence. New LED technologies promise to be the next step forward.

December 2014

• 

  Zahed Receivs SABIC Postdoctoral Fellowship Award

  1 min read · Wed, Dec 10 2014

  News

  Photonics lab member Mohammed Zahed Mustafa Khan receivs SABIC postdoctoral fellowship award.​​
• 

  The 3rd Saudi International Nanotechnology Conference 2014 (3SINC)

  1 min read · Wed, Dec 3 2014

  News

  The 3rd Saudi International Nanotechnology Conference 2014 (3SINC) and KACST-KAUST-UCSB Workshops on Solid State Lighting, 1-3 December, 2014 / 9-11.​

November 2014

• 

  Review paper published on Progress in Quantum Electronics

  1 min read · Thu, Nov 20 2014

  News

  Review paper on Self-assembled InAs/InP quantum dots and quantum dashes has been published on the review journal Progress in Quantum Electronics by Dr. Mohammed Zahed Mustafa Khan​​​.

September 2014

• 

  5 Year Anniversary Showcase

  1 min read · Wed, Sep 3 2014

  News

  There were over 15 faculty members that helped, dedicated there time, and worked together to create an experience that everyone could enjoy. With effort, creativity, passion, collaboration, and dedication these faculty members made this whole event possible!

March 2014

• 

  Researchers from Photonics laboratory demonstrates a record bandwidth of 700 nm from novel III/V semiconductor based broadband light emitters

  1 min read · Thu, Mar 20 2014

  News

  nanostructures

  Researchers from Photonics laboratory demonstrates a record bandwidth of 700 nm from novel III/V semiconductor based broadband light emitters.

May 2013

• 

  Mohammed Zahed M. Khan (EE PhD Candidate) and Dr. Boon Ooi (Professor of EE) won the Best Paper Award (Photonics Track) at the SIECP conference

  1 min read · Fri, May 3 2013

  News

  photonics integrated optics optical fiber communications

  Mohammed Zahed M. Khan (EE PhD Candidate) and Dr. Boon Ooi (Professor of EE) won the Best Paper Award (Photonics Track) in the second SIECPC.
• 

  Zahed wins the Best Paper Award at the 2nd SIECPC

  1 min read · Fri, May 3 2013

  News

  Photonics lab member Mohammed Zahed Mustafa Khan won the Best Paper Award (Photonics Track) at the 2nd SIECPC.​​​

March 2011

• 

  Second KAUST-KFUPM Photonics Workshop

  1 min read · Wed, Mar 2 2011

  News

  The second KAUST-KFUPM one day Photonics Workshop drew faculty, students, researchers, and visitors from the University of Michigan, University of St. Andrews, University of Central Florid, City University of London, and KFUPM.