KUCHING – A doctor of philosophy (PhD) candidate from Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus was awarded for his thesis on lasers by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Circuits and Systems Society Malaysia, recently.
Kelvin Yong Sheng Chek was presented with the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award during the society’s high-tea event in Penang.
The accolade recognizes doctoral dissertations that contribute to the advancement of theory and/or applications of circuits and systems.
The 29-year-old from Kuching received an honorarium and a certificate for his winning dissertation entitled Direct modulation and injection locking characteristics of quantum cascade lasers.
“The focus of my PhD was the investigation of the modulation characteristics of the quantum cascade laser and how factors such as power supply and parameters of the laser affect its modulation characteristics,” said Yong.
The quantum cascade laser is a type of semiconductor laser that emits mid-infrared light. Examples of its applications are in chemical sensing for monitoring the environment and homeland security, non-invasive medical diagnostic and communication system.
“Understanding the various factors that affect the performance of the laser will lead to improved operation for a specific application.”
Yong said he was motivated in his research by the wide prospects of photonics applications in daily life. Photonics is the science of light generation, detection, and manipulation through emission, transmission, modulation, signal processing, switching, amplification, and detection/sensing.
“Photonics opens up various technologies from lighting to medical instrument to smartphones. I am motivated to explore the possibilities that can be unlocked from the application aspects of the semiconductor laser.”
Yong, who has a degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Swinburne Sarawak, said he was able to complete his doctorate with the guidance of his supervisors, former Swinburne Sarawak associate professors Dr Manas Kumar Haldar and Dr Jeffrey Webb.
“The university’s Research and Consultancy Office provided me with the opportunities to attend workshops, courses, and seminars and also supported me financially at conferences. These equipped me with the tools and knowledge that contributed to winning the award,” he added.
Yong completed his studies in December last year and will be awarded his PhD at Swinburne Sarawak’s graduation ceremony in October.
The IEEE Circuits and Systems Society promotes the advancement of the theory, analysis, design tools, and implementation of circuits and systems.
