Rod Tucker wins 2022 IEEE Photonics Award

Laureate Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering Rod Tucker has been awarded the 2022 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Photonics Award for his outstanding achievements in photonic devices and systems.

The Photonics Award is one of the most prestigious honours from the IEEE, the world's largest technical professional organisation.

Professor Tucker’s pioneering work on high-speed semiconductor lasers underpinned the development of cable television systems and data communications.

He undertook ground-breaking studies of the capabilities and limitations of photonic devices for memory, switching and logic operations and has clarified the capabilities and limitations of photonics in digital systems.

This work highlighted the central role of energy consumption on the practical constraints on future active optical integrated circuits, switching systems and optical computing.

Professor Tucker is a staunch advocate for low-energy design in photonic and optoelectronic systems and has developed a theoretical framework for comparing the energy efficiency of emerging all-optical and photonic technologies with their electronic and optoelectronic counterparts.

Professor Tucker joined the University in 1990 and in addition to receiving numerous prestigious awards including the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2012 for his contributions to industry and education, he also served on the Rudd Government’s Panel of Experts, tasked with providing advice on the establishment of the National Broadband Network.