Prof. Aaron Danner - Chip-based photonics for ultra-high-speed computing & Ultra-thin solar cells and quadcopter drones
Chip-based photonics for ultra-high-speed computing (8.00 – 9.15 am)
Key calculations which are required for AI, machine learning, and neuromorphic computing include matrix
multiplication and nonlinearities such as the sigmoid curve or ReLU. In this talk, I'll show how, in principle, both of
these steps can be carried out in photonics rather than with electronics. I'll describe how and why photonic computing
can yield up to three orders of magnitude faster computation than GPUs while consuming much less power. I will
describe my group's work in creating photonic neurons and photonic Ising processors. I'll also describe the challenges
that all photonic computing schemes face, along with advantages and disadvantages that originate from the
underlying physics.
Ultra-thin solar cells and quadcopter drones (9.20 – 10.30 am)
We have built and tested several solar power drones over the past 20 years. In 2018, our team was the first in the
world to achieve 100% solar flight in a rotorcraft, and earlier this year, the maximum flight time we achieved reached
over 4 hours with no battery on board. In this talk, I will discuss the engineering challenges associated with solar power
rotorcraft, and show several videos of various aircraft that we have built and flown over the years. I will also discuss
the ultra-thin solar cells which we fabricate here in Singapore for this application, along with the unique challenges
they pose.
Date and Time
Location
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- AGH University
- Av. Mickiewicza 30
- Krakow, Malopolskie
- Poland 30-059
- Building: D-1
- Room Number: 103 lecture hall
- Click here for Map
Speakers
Prof. Aaron Danner
Biography:
Bio: Aaron Danner is with the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he leads
research in materials and devices for photonics. His research encompasses
lithium niobate and barium titanate platforms, ferroelectric oxide thin-film
growth, materials characterization, ultrathin solar cells, chip-based
nonlinear optics, and integrated photonics for high-speed communications,
quantum applications, and photonic computing. His research group
develops miniaturized, integrated optical devices using materials like
lithium niobate and barium titanate. These materials offer promising
platforms for long-distance optical-fiber communications, on-chip
quantum optics, and photonic computing, including optical neural
networks and Ising machines. Device miniaturization and integration are
central to advancing future optical datacom systems and enabling
increasingly sophisticated quantum photonic circuits with programmable
control of single photons. The group also hosts the NUS Solar Powered
Helicopter Team, where ultra-thin silicon solar cells were used to create
hours-long flight times.
Email:
Address:Singapore, Singapore