Two Proteus Co-Investigators have been announced as the winners of the prestigious Rank Prize for Optoelectronics 2018, along with a former colleague.
Professors Tim Birks and Jonathan Knight, both based at the University of Bath, has been recognised for the invention and realisation of photonic crystal optical fibres. Along with former Bath researcher Professor Philip Russell (now based at the Max-Planck Institute for the Science of Light), they both envisioned and developed the first photonic crystal fibres whilst working together at the University of Southampton in 1995. They continued with this work after moving to the University of Bath in 1996, and have subsequently gone on to produce numerous scientific breakthroughs and show the high economic impact of such technology.
L-R: Philip Russell, Jonathan Knight, Tim Birks.
Professor Birks told the University of Bath: “This is a tremendous recognition of the contribution our work on new forms of optical fibre has made to revitalising the broader field of optical fibre physics.”
Professor Knight added: “It’s especially gratifying to know that our research has resulted in the establishment and continued success of several businesses, demonstrating that the science has value beyond academia.”
The Prize will be awarded at a ceremony in London on February 12th, 2018, and will be equally divided amongst the three researchers.
The Rank Prize Funds is a charitable organisation which seeks to recognise excellence in specific fields of research and reward innovators for their dedication and outstanding contribution. The Funds were established by the late Lord Rank in 1972.
You can see the original news article on the University of Bath website here.
Find out more about the Rank Prize at http://rankprize.org