Project PI: Dr. Ziad Elsahn
Project Team: Dr. Ahmed Farid, Dr. Ali M. Elrashidi
Research area: Optical Communications

Abstract

This project will be looking at inexpensive solutions for next generation passive optical networks (PONs) aiming to:

1.  user bit rates higher than 1 Gb/s;
2. longer PON reach; and
3. larger number of users per optical line terminal (OLT).

Both green‐field and brown‐field deployment scenarios will be considered. To do so, we may consider wavelength‐division multiplexed (WDM) PONs and try to address the design challenges and requirements. Further, we may be studying the possibility to use optical code‐division multiple-access (OCDMA), subcarrier‐multiplexing (SCM), optical orthogonal frequency‐division multiplexing (OFDM), optical interleaved‐division multiple‐access (OIDMA), or some other hybrid techniques for next generation PONs. The use of coherent detection will also be addressed to enable high order modulation formats, and digital signal processing (DSP).

This research work will be focusing on both the system and device levels. The performance of the proposed solutions will be evaluated mainly via Matlab and Optisystem simulations, and possibly some basic experiments may be conducted.

Project PI: Dr. Nader Shehata
Project Team: Dr. Islam Ashry, Dr. Ishac Kandas
Research area: Renewable Energy & Nanotechnology

Abstract

This proposal reports the fabrication of multi-layers polymeric solar cell with the integration of different nanostructures. Polymeric solar cells have many privileges because they are cheap (compared to silicon wafers or heterostructures), easy to be fabricated, and they do not need cleaning room processes. However, the main problem of the polymeric solar cells is the relatively low power conversion efficiency. Increasing the efficiency is the main target of this project through the deposition of different separate/combined layers including quantum dots (QDs), nonlinear polymers, fluorescent nanoparticles, and conductive nanofibers. The added materials would act as wavelength converters to get benefit of the unabsorbed wavelengths from the solar spectrum.

In this project, we report three different methods that could be used separately or combined to enhance the efficiency of polymeric solar cells. Spin coating and layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly techniques will be used to add QDs, nonlinear materials, and some fluorescent nanoparticles to polymeric solar cells during their fabrication. Additionally, electro-spinning process will be used to deposit conductive nanofibers over the polymeric solar cells to improve the conductivity of the generated photo-electrons from the active region to the electrodes.