Centre of Excellence for Intelligent Optical Networks

Board of Governors, IITM has agreed to set-up Center for excellence in Optical Networks at IIT Madras.

The funds received from Desh Deshpande is to be deposited soon as a IC&SR project, the project co-ordinator (Dr.Ashok Jhunjhunwala) would start operating. The proposal is attached as Appendix A.

In the meanwhile, following preparatory task has been taken up :

An advertisement for recruitment of faculty in Optical Networking has been issued. We expect to get 4 to 5 excellent faculty members for the center. Some of the people who are planning at apply are listed in Appendix B.
Lab space has been identified (about 4500 sq.ft) and contract is being awarded to renovate the building. A high quality infrastructure is being created. A generator providing full power back-up is also being procured Lab space is expected to be ready by end of May and the total cost would be $1,50,000. The design of the two floors is given in Appendix C.
Equipments to be procured are being examined and the process of ordering would start once the project is instituted and funds transferred to the project.

APPENDIX A
The Proposal to set up a Centre for Intelligent Optical Networks

Dr.Gururaj Deshpande has committed a sum of $1 million in the year 2000-2001 towards setting up a Centre for Intelligent Optical Networks at IIT Madras. Further funds are expected in the following years.

It is proposed to set up a Centre for Intelligent Optical Networks with Dr.Ashok Jhunjhunwala as the first Head of the Centre. The Centre will function under the Department of Electrical Engineering.

The funds received from Gururaj Deshpande towards the Centre would be operated like an ICSR project by ICSR with the following conditions:
- No overheads will go to IIT Madras, and no money from the funds can be drawn by IITM faculty towards consultancy.
- The funds can be utilised for hiring temporary project staff. However, the salary for the personnel (Project Associates, Senior Project Officers) could be fixed higher than the salary being recommended by ICSR. In view of the fact that the salaries for engineers in these areas is higher in the market. Each such appointment will be approved by the Dean, ICSR.
The funds can be utilised to hire consultants and visiting faculty personnel. It should be possible to hire and bring visiting consultants from the US and other developed countries for short-term assignments with a remuneration, equivalent to that of the market. Also, air-travel for the visiting scientists should be payable from the funds.

In view of the fact that significant quick results are expected from the project, we suggest fast-track purchase procedures be adopted at ICSR similar to those adopted for the Technology Development Mission project and WLL project.

Lab space has been identified for the Centre as FOSAPP Building Floor II and III. Interior decoration, furnishing and cabling needs to be carried out in accordance with a lab of international quality. Similarly, repair work needs to be carried out and air-conditioners need to be replaced. It is proposed that funds from the project be utilised to carry this out at the earliest possible.

APPENDIX B
Some candidates for Faculty Position

Dr.Debasish Dutta
WDM-based Broadband Access Networks, Wavelength routed optical backbone, physical and virtual topology, wavelength routing impairments in physical layer

Dr.Anil Prabhakar
WDM components, Advanced GMR recording head design, wideband non-resonant magneto-optic modulation, magneto-static wave-optical guided mode interaction

Dr.Hari Ramchandra
- study of solitons
- wave transparent in strongly inhomogeneous medium, plasma behaviors in presence of strong electric fields
Dr.Porsezian
- investigated the soliton type propagation in the non-linear fibre optics.
- Solitons in semiconductor doped glass fibre with higher order dispersion and kerr dispersion.
- Soliton type wave propagation in water waves extending the work on non-linear lattice.
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