The Montreal Photonics Networking Event is an annual event aimed at bringing together graduate students working in photonics in Quebec to establish new connections between them, as well as industrial representatives to further career development. The INRS Photonics Student Association (including the IEEE Photonics Society student chapter branch at INRS) will hold a booth at the event to connect our association with other student chapters in the Montreal area. We will do this by highlighting research happening at INRS EMT from our students and postdocs to potential collaborators and students from other institutions. Part of this includes promoting the activities held by the chapter branch and seeking out opportunities for future joint events at a city-wide level. Co-sponsored by: OPTICA-SPIE Student Chapter at INRS Bldg: Atrium Lorne-M.-Trottier, 2700 Chemin de la Tour, Bldg: Pavillon Lassonde, 3e étage, MONTRÉAL, Quebec, Canada, H3T 1J4

What does it take to develop a new satellite constellation from the initial idea to the point of getting the funding to build it? And how are funding decisions actually made and are we really aware of what drives our own decisions in life? Helena van Mierlo was the driving force behind a constellation of satellites for wildfire monitoring which is slated for launch in 2029. She brings us on a journey of the eight years she spent to turn this novel space-based wildfire monitoring service into a reality. Along the way you will be learning some interesting facts about wildfires, satellites and her own career path, but above all she will share with us her lessons learned about what it takes to get your idea financed. Co-sponsored by: ETS. STARACOM. INTRIQ. PRIMA. Fonex. PreFab. Numana. Ansys. Femtum. Optech. Aeponyx. Excelitas Technologies. Speaker(s): Helena van Mierlo Agenda: - 1:00 PM - 1:10 PM: Welcome by Chairs of the 8th Montreal Photonics Networking Event - 1:10 PM - 2:00 PM: Plenary speaker Room: M1010 , Bldg: Pavillon Lassonde, 1e étage, 2700, Chemin de la Tour, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, H3T 1J4

Wide bandgap semiconductor devices based on gallium nitride (GaN) offer myriads of advantages over traditional silicon (Si)-based devices for applications in power electronics. These advantages include higher voltage-handling capability with associated low conduction loss, as well as faster switching capabilities, allowing for reduced filtering components within converter topologies, thus leading to improved power density. Despite the many advantages of GaN devices, several challenges related to technological readiness level (TRL) and practical implementation have hindered their widespread adoption, particularly at high voltage. For these reasons, advanced characterization methods for GaN semiconductors are needed, so that these devices can realize their full performance entitlement. This talk will present a broad array of new characterization and modeling methodologies for future GaN diodes, MOSFETs, and novel Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches (PCSS). The presented work will include device physics simulations using finite element modeling techniques, which facilitate the design of new architectures of vertical GaN diodes that are capable of withstanding high voltages. Relative to conventional bevel-angle diodes, the proposed “hybrid edge termination” structure is much simpler, yet produces similar breakdown characteristics. It will be shown that the simulated designs can be used to fabricate and empirically characterize the static and dynamic performance of the 1.2 kV diodes. The empirically validated diode simulations inform and guide the design of high voltage GaN MOSFETs, leading to the development of scaling rules which can reasonably project the performance of future GaN devices up to 20 kV. To address potential forthcoming challenges related to Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), a novel GaN-based PCSS device is proposed and characterized. PCSS devices are optically triggered, thereby electrically decoupling the input and output ports of the device, allowing for EMI mitigation. A new “Cascaded Double Pulse Test” (C-DPT) is used to empirically characterize the dynamic performance of the PCSS device. The C-DPT consists of a low-voltage DPT, strategically positioned overtop of a high-voltage DPT. The low voltage DPT drives a UV LED, acting as the freewheeling diode to provide optical triggering to the PCSS device, which is implemented on the high-voltage DPT. This novel proof-of-concept circuit can inform the design of next-generation power converters utilizing PCSS devices. Finally, the dispersive effect of the parasitic components contained in high-frequency GaN-based circuits is evaluated. As the spectral content in GaN-based circuits is infringing on frequencies previously only observed in the RF domain, new characterization and modeling techniques are needed. This talk will demonstrate that the extended spectral content, orders of magnitude above the switching frequency, associated with GaN-based converters is causing the parasitic components of the circuit to exhibit frequency-dependence. Strategies to account for, and predict this behavior will be presented. The talk will conclude with applying learned lessons from wide bandgap semiconductors to develop a roadmap towards the design of ultra-wide bandgap devices, such as gallium oxide, or aluminum nitride. Speaker(s): Raghav Khanna, Room: EV3.309, Bldg: Engineering Building, Concordia University, 1515 St. Catherine W, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3G1M8

The IEEE Power Electronics Society, Industry and Applications Society and Power Energy Society are inviting all interested IEEE members and prospective members to a webinar Evaluating High Voltage and High Frequency Capability of Future GaN-Based Diodes, MOSFETs, and Novel Photoconductive Switches By Dr. Raghav Khanna Co-sponsored by: IEEE Power Electronics Society, Industry and Applications Society, and Power and Energy Society Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/448920

From Intelligent Surfaces to Noise-Driven Communication: Innovative Technologies for 6G and Beyond Prof. Ertuğrul Başar Koç University, Turkey – ebasar@ku.edu.tr When: December 6th 2024, 11H00 AM Quebec-Canada Local Time Where: ONLINE VIA ZOOM: https://uqtr.zoom.us/j/81521084215?pwd=bchQDndZg7DTlpVuaeag6bhGwaOvn9.1 Meeting ID : 815 2108 4215 Password : 018477 Abstract - Our community has witnessed the rise of many exciting communication technologies in recent years. Notable examples include alternative waveforms, massive multiple-input multiple-output signaling, non-orthogonal multiple access, joint communications and sensing, AI-empowered systems, and so on. In this context, 6G wireless networks will inevitably require a rethinking of wireless communication systems and technologies, particularly at the physical layer, since the cellular industry reached another critical milestone with the development of 5G wireless networks with diverse applications. Within this perspective, first, this talk aims to shed light on the most recent developments in reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-empowered communication towards 6G and beyond wireless networks by discussing promising candidates for future research and development. Specifically, we emphasize different RIS architectures and emerging RIS use cases. Second, taking RIS-based radio frequency chain-free transmitters one step further, we put forward the paradigm of noise-driven communication. We discuss the potential of noise-driven communication systems for three purposes: low/zero-signal-power transmission by indexing resistors or other noise sources according to information bits, noise-alike waveform/modulation design for improved communication efficiency, and unconditionally secure key generation using noise-based loops. Biography - [] Prof. Ertuğrul Başar received his Ph.D. degree from Istanbul Technical University in 2013. He is a Professor at the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey, and the director of the Communications Research and Innovation Laboratory (CoreLab). He had visiting positions at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany (2022, Mercator Fellow) and Princeton University, USA (2011-2012, Visiting Research Collaborator). His primary research interests include 6G and beyond wireless networks, communication theory and systems, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, software-defined radio implementations, waveform design, physical layer security, and deep learning and signal processing for communications. In the past, Dr. Başar served as an Editor/Senior Editor for many journals, including IEEE Communications Letters (2016-2022), IEEE Transactions on Communications (2018-2022), Physical Communication (2017-2020), and IEEE Access (2016-2018). Currently, he is an Editor of Frontiers in Communications and Networks. He is the author/co-author of more than 170 international journal publications and 16 patents that received around 15K citations. He also supervised 5 PhD and 18 master’s students. He is an Associate Member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA). In recognition of his outstanding contributions to physical-layer design for next-generation wireless networks, Prof. Basar was elevated to IEEE Fellow in 2023, becoming one of the youngest IEEE Fellows of Turkey at the age of 37. He is also a Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA) and the Artificial Intelligence Industry Academy (AIIA). Recently, Dr. Basar has been selected as an IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecturer for the Class of 2024-2025. Speaker(s): Prof. Başar, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/443554