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Recently, the Teco Technology Foundation awarded the 19th Teco Award of the Electrical Engineering/Information/Communications Area to NTHU professor, Dr. Ci-Ling Pan, for his vital contributions to the field of terahertz optoelectronics. The award ceremony was held on November 3rd 2012.
Prof. Ci-Ling Pan is renowned internationally as a leading researcher in the field of optoelectronics. As a pioneer in the field of terahertz optics and liquid crystal photonics, Prof. Pan has received numerous significant domestic and international awards in recognition of his achievements in these areas. Prof. Pan is the only Taiwanese Fellow in the Division of Laser Science (DSL) of the American Physical Society (APS). In addition, he is one of the several scholars who have been named both as APS Fellow and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow. Prof. Pan also holds fellowships in all major international optoelectronics societies, including the Optical Society of America and the International Society for Optics and Photonics.
Over the past ten years, Prof. Pan has focused his research on ultrafast optics and terahertz optoelectronics. Many of his findings have substantial scientific merit and practical applications. Prof. Pan's most prominent contributions included: ion-planted semiconductors for ultrafast optoelectronics and components, terahertz emission and detection technologies and applications. Terahertz waves, or terahertz radiation (1 THz = 1012 Hz), refers to electromagnetic radiation with frequencies between approximately 0.1 and 10 THz, which are known as submillimeter waves or infrared light. Terahertz technology can be applied to disease diagnosis, environment monitoring, product quality control, communications, and the exploration of the universe.
The pioneering work of Prof. Pan and his wife, Prof. Ru-Pin Chao, in the field of terahertz liquid crystal optics was particularly valued by the review committee. Liquid crystal has massive and usable electric and magnetic fields, as well as light field-controlled birefringence. Consequently, liquid crystal optoelectronics, such as monitors, have been widely used. In 2002, Prof. Pan's Research team initiated the study of the optoelectronic properties of terahertz wave band liquid crystal and its application prospects. They developed various types of terahertz liquid crystal optical components, such as phase shifter, birefringent filter, polarizer, and phase grating. The liquid crystal terahertz phase shifter is the only device that can operate at room temperature and can achieve a phase shift of 360°. "In the future, this device can be applied to other fields, including submillimeter phase array radars and astronomical observation," said Prof. Pan.
In addition to his award-winning researches, Prof. Pan has also made major contributions to the education programs at NTHU. For more than 30 years, Prof. Pan has devoted himself to curriculum design and planning at the Institute of Photonics Technologies. President Lih J. Chen praised "Prof. Pan has cultivated numerous talented graduate, as well as postdoctoral researchers in the area of optoelectronics, all his students are now actively contributing in the industry, academia, and research institutions."
Furthermore, Prof. Pan served as a consultant at the Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). He oversaw joint research projects to facilitate the solution of critical issues related to national defense and industrial technology. His discoveries have resulted in numerous patents and technology transfers to domestic and international companies; 13 patents in Taiwan and 10 patents in the United States.
The Teco Award is a prestigious award presented by the Teco Technology Foundation annually to honor the lifetime achievements of scientists who have made significant contributions to scientific and technological research and the development of Taiwan. Since its establishment 19 years ago, nine NTHU professors have received this honor. They are: Professors Richard Chia-Tung Lee, Ching-Tsai Pan, Lih J. Chen, Yung-Sheng Liu, Show-An Chen, Chang Shih-Lin, Huey-Liang Hwang, Chen-Chi Ma, and Ann-Shyn Chiang.
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