David Payne and the Optoelectronics Research Centre receive Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education

Sir David Payne at the ORC

The Optoelectronics Research Centre at the University of Southampton, led by SPIE Fellow Sir David Payne, has been awarded a prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education. The Queen's Anniversary Prizes are the United Kingdom's most prestigious form of recognition for an academic or vocational institution, with approval directly from The Queen and Parliament.

In a statement for the University of Southampton press, Payne noted, “Being honored with this prestigious award is recognition of just how important photonics is to the UK and the extensive role the University of Southampton has played in leading photonics research since the 1960s.”

Payne led the team at Southampton that in the 1970s invented the EDFA erbium-doped fiber amplifier, a critical component in the backbone of the optical fiber transmission systems that power the Internet and carry voice calls around the world. His work has also led to the development of specialty fibers and high-power fiber lasers used in industrial manufacturing applications.

He was among luminaries in the laser field featured in displays shown throughout the world as part of the Advancing the Laser observance of the 50th anniversary of laser technology in 2010. He sat with SPIE that year for a video interview on the erbium-doped fiber amplifier.

Payne became a Senior Member of SPIE in 2016 and was elected to Fellow this year. He has presented his research at SPIE Events for several years and published the proceedings with the SPIE Digital Library.

For more information:

• Read the University of Southampton news release