Paris, October 15, 2010 – Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE:ALU) today announced that a number of current and former scientists from its research arm Bell Labs have been honored for their inventions by the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame.
Researchers Andrew Chraplyvy, Robert Tkach, and Kenneth Walker were inducted into the Hall of Fame for significant contributions they have made to optical networking technology and, in particular, for their invention of a high capacity optical fiber for Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM). The fiber, now called Non-Zero Dispersion Fiber (NZDF), dramatically increases the capacity of optical networks by supporting concurrent transmission of large numbers of wavelengths that carry high-speed optical signals.
This invention laid the foundation for recent breakthroughs in optical networking such as the 100 Gigabit per second system Alcatel-Lucent introduced to the market earlier this year and the 100 Petabit per second world record transmission data rate Bell Labs achieved in lab demonstrations at the end of 2009.
Leonard Cimini, another former Bell Labs researcher, received an Inventor’s Award for his pioneering research in the application of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, a technique that has dramatically increased the performance of wireless networks. Today, OFDM is widely used in networks around the world and finds application in wide band digital communication, mobile internet access and next generation cellular systems.
Former researcher Michael Tompsett was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of patents he has obtained for a wide range of inventions in semiconductor and optical imaging technologies.
The New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame promotes the role of invention in the state’s development and the role of inventors in improving society and honors inventors, organizations, and others who have contributed to innovation in the state.
“It is very rare that scientists achieve breakthroughs that have such far-reaching impact – not only on the industry, but on society at large,” said Alice White, Vice President of Bell Labs North America. “What these researchers have accomplished is a testament to their inventiveness and stands as a prime example of the role Bell Labs plays in defining the future of communications.”
This year’s inductees join a long list of Bell Labs researchers who have been similarly honored by the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame including Arthur Schawlow and Charles Townes, the inventors of the laser, and John Bardeen, William Shockley, Walter Brattain, who invented the transistor.
About Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is the trusted transformation partner of service providers, enterprises, strategic industries such as defense, energy, healthcare, transportation, and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP and optics technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 15.2 billion in 2009 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, read the latest posts on the Alcatel-Lucent blog http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Alcatel_Lucent.
