Professor Awarded Patent for Revolutionary Fiber Optics Design

MELBOURNE, FLA. – Syed Murshid, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Florida Institute of Technology, was recently awarded a patent for his fiber optics system by the United States Patent & Trademark Office. The patent, titled, “Array of concentric CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) photodiodes for detection and de-multiplexing of spatially modulated optical channels,” is the fifth awarded to Murshid in his distinguished career.

The process, dubbed spatial-domain multiplexing (SDM) by its developers, is believed to be a significant step for the future of fiber optics. The aim of the patented process is to improve the functionality of photodiodes which are used to convert light into electric current and adapt them to SDM applications.

In 1997 Murshid earned his doctoral degree in electrical engineering from Florida Tech where he now teaches optical electronics, fiber optics, virtual instrumentation and electrical circuits courses. Prior to joining the Florida Tech faculty in 1999, Murshid worked for the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Research Institute on a research grant sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.

To learn more about Murshid’s research and patents visit www.fit.edu/faculty/profiles.