The new technology creates digital displays that are lit by surrounding light and are more natural looking than current display technologies that rely on energy-intensive bright lights hidden behind screens. The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

鈥淭his display is more of a natural look than your current computer or smartphone screens,鈥� says Debashis Chanda, an associate professor in 麻豆原创鈥檚 and principal investigator of the research. 鈥淚t is like seeing a portrait on the wall at your house. It doesn鈥檛 have that glare or extra light. It is more like looking at the natural world.鈥�

Instead of using bright LED lights located behind a screen to illuminate a display, Chanda鈥檚 display is lit by reflecting light from the environment. The researcher compared the new viewing experience to switching from eating processed foods to eating natural ones.

鈥淚t鈥檒l be a step up for people to get used to it,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut this is a way to create displays that are harmonious with how nature displays color and as a result look more natural and don鈥檛 pump out a huge quantity of light into your eyes.鈥�

This is important because staring at brightly lit computer and smartphone displays for prolonged periods of time can cause eye strain, headaches and other health problems.

This new displaying mechanism uses a technique used by many animals, such as butterflies, octopuses, parrots, macaws and beetles, to display color by scattering and reflecting light that hits nanoscale structures on their bodies.

This type of light production is different than pigment colors or dyes, like those used in clothes or paints, that selectively absorb some colors of light and reflect others.

鈥淚f we see butterflies, octopuses or many beautiful birds, their color actually originates from nanoscale structures on their feathers, skin or scales,鈥� Chanda says. 鈥淭he protein molecule, the base element, they don’t have their own color but when you put them together in an orderly, controlled fashion, it creates all kinds of color. What the butterfly does is simply scatter light back in a way that it creates all this beautiful color without absorbing anything.鈥�

The technology, known as plasmonic color displays, can show different colors based on the size, shape and patterns of reflective metallic nanostructures inside the screens. The technology, however, has been limited by problems with displaying the correct color at different angles, fabricating it over large areas and displaying black.

Building upon his previous research, Chanda鈥檚 group has overcome these challenges by finding a way to make the nanostructures into precise designs to fully control angle-independent scattering of light, resulting in colors that don鈥檛 depend on viewing angle.

鈥淲e discovered a technique where nanoparticles could self-assemble a quasi-random pattern on a pre-designed substrate and then we could optimize that in a very controlled process to create a certain color, like yellow, blue, gold, magenta, white and more, just by changing nanoparticle size, unlike pigment-based colors where different absorbing molecules are needed for different colors,鈥� Chanda says.

The self-assembly process used in the study is similar to how the human body controls growth. In the body, enzymes and hormones released at certain times regulate growth. In Chanda鈥檚 study deposition rate, pressure and temperature control the design and growth of nanostructures, which provides control of the color of light displayed.

鈥淲ith the mechanism we developed, we can use physical parameters to map back to a particular pattern and subsequently a color,鈥� Chanda says.

鈥淗owever, black color needed a different approach. The scattered light from the nanostructured surface is blocked using a liquid crystal layer in a controlled manner resulting in the first demonstration of black/grey colors in structural color displays,鈥� Chanda says.

With the field still emerging, the researcher says it could be a while before displays and consumer products using plasmonic nanostructures are available to the public, but the results of the study are a significant step in that direction.

Study authors also include Daniel Franklin, lead author, a graduate of 麻豆原创鈥檚 doctoral program in the and now a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University; Ziqian He, a doctoral student in 麻豆原创鈥檚 ; Pamela Mastranzo Ortega, a visiting doctoral student in Chanda鈥檚 Nano-Optics Group; Alireza Safaei, formerly a doctoral聽 researcher in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Physics and NanoScience Technology Center and now a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Pablo Cencillo-Abad, a postdoctoral researcher in Chanda鈥檚 Nano-Optics Group; and Shin-Tson Wu, a Pegasus professor in 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Optics and Photonics.

The ongoing research is funded by the National Science Foundation through two regular grants since 2014.

Chanda has joint appointments in 麻豆原创鈥檚 NanoScience Technology Center, Department of Physics and College of Optics and Photonics. He received his doctorate in photonics from the University of Toronto and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He joined 麻豆原创 in 2012.

Seven of the programs are taught in the College of Community Innovation and Education, including 麻豆原创鈥檚 highest-ranking program, Emergency and Crisis Management, which was ranked No. 2 in the nation and jumped five spots from last year鈥檚 No. 7 ranking.

鈥�Emergency and Crisis Management is dynamic and requires an all-hazards, whole community approach,鈥� says Claire Connolly Knox, director of the program. 鈥淚n Florida, we tend to focus on hurricanes. The current pandemic, COVID-19, and recent cybersecurity聽attacks on local governments are two of the many hazards our community needs to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate.

鈥淎s technology evolves, the risks we face continue to evolve and change drastically. Our degree offerings provide聽a solid foundation for current and future leaders to face the more common crises and disasters as well as those we have yet to experience.鈥�

A Broad Appeal to Community Impact

The other programs ranked among the top 50 include Nonprofit Management聽(No. 5),聽Optics and Photonics聽(No. 12),聽Counselor Education聽(No. 13), Local Government Management (No. 17), Public Management and Leadership (No. 23),聽Criminal Justice聽(No. 26),聽Public Budgeting and Finance聽(No. 26),聽Best Public Administration Schools (No. 38), Industrial/Manufacturing/Systems Engineering (No. 41) and聽Health Administration (No. 46). The Best Public Administration Schools also made the highest leap from last year鈥檚 rankings, jumping 15 spots from No. 53.

鈥淭he programs offered by the School of Public Administration are dynamic in the sense that they move in rhythm with the governments, public, communities that influence all of our lives,鈥� says Pamela 鈥淪issi鈥� Carroll, dean of the College of Community Innovation and Education, which has the most ranked programs this year. 鈥淭he faculty are experts in their academic areas, and are also leaders who bring students into conversation with local, state, national and international leaders. Through these experiences, our students see the potential for positive societal impact of knowledge and well-informed public action.鈥�

The dean says today鈥檚 students seek professions in which they can directly contribute to society, and at 麻豆原创 they are able to take advantage of educational offerings that include fully online, hybrid and face-to-face courses, plus the new location of 麻豆原创 Downtown, where students increasingly are drawn to new opportunities to experience the intersections of classroom and organization-based learning.

鈥淥ur programs attract students that have an interest in serving the public good and making the world a better place for all,鈥� says Naim Kapucu, director of the School of Public Administration. 鈥淪tudents are able to obtain an education that emphasizes the value of innovation and partnership for public service. Our programs attract students who are interested in being driving forces for the changes they wish to see in society.鈥�

Kapucu says the school has the largest faculty expertise in emergency management compared to any public administration programs in the nation.

鈥淢atched with our experienced faculty, an innovative approach to education, and strong community partnerships, students graduate with the skillset and knowledge to be not only public servants, but also leaders in our ever-evolving world,鈥� he says.

Strong Programs in Engineering

麻豆原创鈥檚 engineering programs dominate the additional programs in the top 100 in their fields, including Aerospace Engineering (No. 53), Materials Science and Engineering (No. 54), Communication Sciences and Disorders (No. 55), Physical Therapy (No. 57), Electrical/Electronic/Communications Engineering (No. 58), Computer Engineering (No. 61), Physics (No. 61), Best Education Schools (No. 63), Environmental Engineering (No. 68), Mechanical Engineering (No. 70), Social Work (No. 70), Best Engineering Schools (No. 74), Civil Engineering (No. 75), Computer Science (No. 82), Best Medical Schools: Research (No. 84) and Best Medical Schools: Primary Care (No. 94鈥�122).

The rankings are drafted each year to help students find programs to continue their education and advance their careers. The publication weighs more than 800 institutions based on peer and expert opinions about the quality of programs and statistical data that measures the quality of a school鈥檚 faculty, research and students.

In a study featured as the cover article appearing today in the journal Science Advances, a 麻豆原创 research team showed that by combining two promising nanomaterials into a new superstructure, they could create a nanoscale device that mimics the neural pathways of brain cells used for human vision.

鈥淭his is a baby step toward developing neuromorphic computers, which are computer processors that can simultaneously process and memorize information,鈥� said Jayan Thomas, an associate professor in 麻豆原创鈥檚 NanoScience Technology Center and Department of Materials Science and Engineering. 鈥淭his can reduce the processing time as well as the energy required for processing. At some time in the future, this invention may help to make robots that can think like humans.鈥�

Thomas led the research in collaboration with Tania Roy, an assistant professor in 麻豆原创鈥檚 NanoScience Technology Center, and others at 麻豆原创鈥檚 NanoScience Technology Center and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Roy said a potential use for the technology is for drone-assisted rescues.

鈥淚magine a drone that can fly without guidance to remote mountain sites and locate stranded mountaineers,鈥� Roy said. 鈥淭oday it is difficult since these drones need connectivity to remote servers to identify what they scan with their camera eye. Our device makes this drone truly autonomous because it can see just like a human.鈥�

鈥淓arlier research created a camera which captured the image and sent it to a server to be recognized, but our group created a single device that mimics the eye and the brain function together,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur device can observe the image and recognize it on the spot.鈥�

The trick to the innovation was growing nanoscale, light-sensitive perovskite quantum dots on the two-dimensional, atomic thick nanomaterial graphene. This combination allows the photoactive particles to capture light, convert it to electric charges and then have the charges directly transferred to the graphene, all in one step. The entire process takes place on an extremely thin film, about one-ten thousandths of the thickness of a human hair.

Basudev Pradhan, who was a Bhaskara Advanced Solar Energy fellow in Thomas鈥� lab and is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Energy Engineering at the Central University of Jharkhand in India, and Sonali Das, a postdoctoral fellow in Roy鈥檚 lab, are shared first authors of the study.

鈥淏ecause of the nature of the superstructure, it shows a light-assisted memory effect,鈥� Pradhan said. 鈥淭his is similar to humans鈥� vision-related brain cells. The optoelectronic synapses we developed are highly relevant for brain-inspired, neuromorphic computing. This kind of superstructure will definitely lead to new directions in development of ultrathin optoelectronic devices.鈥�

Das said there are also potential defense applications.

鈥淪uch features can also be used for聽aiding the vision of soldiers on the battlefield,鈥� she said. 鈥淔urther, our device can sense, detect and reconstruct an image along with extremely low power consumption, which makes it capable for long-term deployment in field applications.鈥�

Neuromorphic computing is a long-standing goal of scientists in which computers can simultaneously process and store information, like the human brain does, for example, to allow vision. Currently, computers store and process information in separate places, which ultimately limits their performance.

To test their device鈥檚 ability to see objects through neuromorphic computing, the researchers used it in facial recognition experiments, Thomas said.

鈥淭he facial recognition experiment was a preliminary test to check our optoelectronic neuromorphic computing,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淪ince our device mimics vision-related brain cells, facial recognition is one of the most important tests for our neuromorphic building block.鈥�

They found that their device was able to successfully recognize the portraits of four different people.

The researchers said they plan to continue their collaboration to refine the device, including using it to develop a circuit-level system.

Study co-authors were Jinxin Li, Farzana Chowdhury, Jayesh Cherusseri, Deepak Pandey, Durjoy Dev, Adithi Krishnaprasad, Elizabeth Barrios, Andrew Towers, Andre Gesquiere, and Laurene Tetard.

Thomas joined 麻豆原创 in 2011 and is a part of the NanoScience Technology Center with a joint appointment in the College of Optics and Photonics and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Previously, Thomas was at the University of Arizona in its College of Optical Sciences. He has several degrees including a doctorate in chemistry/materials science from Cochin University of Science and Technology in India.

Roy joined 麻豆原创 in 2016 and is a part of the NanoScience Technology Center with a joint appointment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Physics. Her recent National Science Foundation CAREER award focuses on the development of devices for artificial intelligence applications. Roy was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley prior to joining 麻豆原创. She received her doctorate in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University.

鈥淭he new rankings reflect our focus on student success and faculty excellence and puts us one step closer to reaching our goal of becoming a 21st-century university committed to fueling the talent, ideas and innovation that will drive our community and state forward.鈥�

The list shows the university鈥檚 upward trajectory in the number of programs on the top 100 list; there were 18 programs ranked in 2017. The rankings measure the quality of 800 schools鈥� faculty, research and students, and are based on peer and expert opinions.

鈥淔rom our growing academic reputation to our successful athletic programs, the 麻豆原创 has made impressive gains over the last decade,鈥� says Elizabeth A. Dooley, provost and vice president for academic affairs. 鈥淭he new rankings reflect our focus on student success and faculty excellence and puts us one step closer to reaching our goal of becoming a 21st-century university committed to fueling the talent, ideas and innovation that will drive our community and state forward.鈥�

麻豆原创鈥檚 top-ranked program this year, Emergency and Crisis聽Management, tied for No. 7, above programs at Texas A&M University, American University and George Washington University. The program is under the direction of Associate Professor Claire Connolly Knox, who says the course builds on the strength of the faculty, advisory board and alumni who mentor students.

鈥淓ffective emergency and crisis management is vital for every community,鈥� Knox says. 鈥淪ince 2016, four聽hurricanes 鈥� Matthew, Irma, Maria聽and Michael 鈥� and three聽mass casualty events聽鈥� Pulse nightclub,聽Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School and Fort Lauderdale Airport 鈥斅爃ave greatly impacted Florida communities. There is an聽increasing need for聽emergency management specialists聽to expand聽their knowledge, skills and abilities through an advanced degree so they can聽more ethically manage emergencies and crises.鈥�

The next highest 麻豆原创 rankings are the Nonprofit Management at No. 8 (moving up from 12) and聽Counselor Education at No. 9 (moving up from 10).

Other programs ranked in the top 50 are:聽Optics and Photonics (No. 12), Elementary Education (No. 22), Public Administration (No. 23), Criminal Justice (No. 26), Industrial Engineering (No. 36) and Health Administration (No. 46).

麻豆原创 programs with the biggest point-gain improvements this year were in nursing. 麻豆原创鈥檚 master鈥檚 nursing school ranked No. 61 overall, moving up 26 points, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice ranked No. 72, improving by 29 points.

Other programs in the top 100 are:
Computer Engineering (No. 52)
Communication Sciences and Disorders (No. 53)
Electrical Engineering (No. 53)
Overall best public administration graduate school (No. 53)
Materials Science and Engineering (No. 57)
Physics (No. 61)
Environmental Engineering (No. 63)
Civil Engineering (No. 65)
Mechanical Engineering (No. 65)
Social Work (No. 70)
Overall best graduate engineering school (No. 75)
Overall best graduate education school (No. 78)
Computer Science (No. 82)
Overall medical research school (No. 88)
Part-time MBA (No. 89)

This was the first time in the top 100 for the part-time MBA, which includes both the 麻豆原创 Evening MBA and the 麻豆原创 Part-time Professional MBA.

鈥淲e found we can create a surface where we preferentially control absorption of light,鈥� says Debashis Chanda, an associate professor of physics, optics and nanoscience who has developed the technique.

The findings were published recently in the Nature journal Light: Science & Applications.

The trick is to put the information on a surface that is riddled with nanoscale patterns, which can fool the naked eye by reflecting only a solid color rather than the intended information. To get the intended information, a person must look through an infrared lens or camera tuned to the correct infrared band.

The information can also be changed so that the secret messages invisible to the human eye can appear and reappear.

And not only can information be hidden this way, the information can also be changed so that the secret messages invisible to the human eye can appear and reappear. These further developments were published recently as a cover article in the journal ACS Photonics.

The applications for this technology could include anticounterfeiting security, infrared tagging or infrared camouflages where, for instance, the presence of a designer label could be confirmed with a look through an infrared camera. It also has military applications, such as confirming which assets are friendly and which are enemy by tags on their surfaces that are only visible in a specific infrared band or by dynamically changing the information for infrared camouflage.

In the Light: Science & Applications study, the researchers demonstrated that they can hide images within the infrared spectrum while the same area appears as a solid color in the visible spectrum.

To do so, they created a three-level, layered, 鈥減lasmonic鈥� system that sandwiches a polymer layer imprinted with nanoscale holes, between a gold mirror at the bottom and a gold layer at the top with holes that match the polymer layer.

Images can be imprinted on top of the 鈥減lasmonic sandwich,鈥� and aspects of the holes, such as size and depth, help dictate which infrared band the image can be seen in. Without looking through an infrared camera tuned to the right band, the top of the device looks like a solid color, such as a yellow square, thanks to the unique properties that can be achieved with materials at the nanoscale.

Varying the pattern characteristics allows the researchers to control the electron plasma resonance, or the electric energy, created when light hits the device.

鈥淪o by controlling this electron plasma resonance we can actually control which color of light or which band of light is absorbed and reflected,鈥� Chanda says.

“We can actually control which color of light or which band of light is absorbed and reflected.鈥� 鈥� Debashis Chanda, 麻豆原创 associate professor

In the ACS Photonics study, the researchers went a step further and developed a way to erase and display the image in selected infrared bands.

They did this by adding a layer of phase change material vanadium dioxide within the 鈥減lasmonic sandwich鈥� that dynamically changes the light reflection from the surface from 100 to 0 percent and back as the phase change is triggered.

鈥淚t provides an additional element of dynamic tunability where the coded information is concealed or revealed to infrared cameras,鈥� Chanda says.

Co-authors of the Light: Science & Applications study were Daniel Franklin 鈥�18PhD, now a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University; Sushrut Modak 鈥�14MS 鈥�18PhD, who recently graduated from 麻豆原创鈥檚 physics doctoral program; Abraham V谩zquez-Guardado 鈥�16MS 鈥�18PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Nano-Optics Group; and Alireza Safaei 鈥�18MS, a physics PhD. student.

Co-authors of the ACS Photonics study were Sayan Chandra, a postdoctoral fellow in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Nano-Optics Group; Daniel Franklin; Jared Cozart, an undergraduate honors student majoring in photonics; and Alireza Safaei 鈥�18, a PhD physics student.

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and Northrop Grumman Mission Systems鈥� University Research Program.

Chanda received his PhD in photonics from the University of Toronto and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He joined 麻豆原创 in 2012.

Andrew Kirk came to 麻豆原创 to study aerospace engineering, but when he took one of his early physics classes it sparked an interest in optics. Then, two years ago at the end of his sophomore year, he heard about the new undergraduate program to be offered by 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Optics & Photonics and the College of Engineering & Computer Science. It鈥檚 the first such program in Florida and only the seventh in the nation. The program started at 麻豆原创 in 2013 and now has 70 students enrolled.

For information about 麻豆原创’s graduation ceremonies click here.

鈥淎fter researching the field鈥t became clear that it would revolutionize technology and that鈥檚 when I decided to switch majors,鈥� said Kirk, who is from Cooper City just southwest of Fort Lauderdale.

That revolution is just around the corner, he said. The Bachelor of Science degree will enable students to analyze and design optical and laser systems for a broad set of applications.

鈥淭here are so many fields that employ photonics. Currently, research is being done in integrated photonic circuits, which holds promise of greatly enhancing a computer鈥檚 processing capability,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are numerous applications from the medical field in cancer detection and laser surgery, space exploration and cosmic imaging, military applications and in a majority of consumer products.鈥�

While attending 麻豆原创, Kirk also has been working at Lockheed Martin on a college work-experience program in research and development of next-generation infrared optics. When he graduates, he has a full-time job already waiting for him in the company鈥檚 advanced materials engineering group, and he plans to return to 麻豆原创 to earn a master鈥檚.

Kirk said he had a jump on finishing the degree requirements because he had already completed many of the required engineering courses when he switched fields.

鈥淭here are many research opportunities for undergraduate students,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is also an expanding job market for this specialty, making graduates of CREOL that much more valuable.鈥� CREOL is the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers, which is part of the College of Photonics and Optics.

麻豆原创鈥檚 new program is distinguished by the fact that more emphasis is placed on photonics than optics, said Mike McKee, associate director of the college鈥檚 undergraduate program. Generally, optics deals with the science of light including lenses and mirrors, whereas photonics deals with the technologies that incorporate light, such as LED displays, solar panels, use of lasers, and communications.

McKee said the U.S. Department of Labor forecasts a need of about 29,000 engineers in this field in the next decade.

鈥淲ith the combined effort of the seven universities that have this degree, it is nowhere close to filling the need,鈥� McKee said, 鈥淪o we have a huge demand and a major shortage of majors. Already, our second student to graduate with the major 鈥� going out in the fall 鈥� has a job offer.鈥�

Going to class full-time and working can make for a heavy load, but Kirk said one of the key lessons he learned in college is the importance of time management.

鈥淵our performance in college may determine how successful you become in the real world,鈥� he said. 鈥淏eing able to find a聽balance between studying, working and socializing is key to success.鈥�

Kirk said he didn鈥檛 feel any particular pressure or competition to be the first to earn the new degree, but 鈥淐REOL already has an outstanding masters and Ph.D. program, so to be the first of the undergraduate program is truly a great honor.鈥�

Kirk will graduate during the commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. Thursday, May 7.

Tekcapital plc (AIM: TEK), an international provider of technology and intellectual property services, is pleased to announce that it has acquired the exclusive worldwide license to a portfolio of 13 optical technology patents from . The patents enable the development of new, small form, lightweight and see-through high-resolution, head-mounted projection displays with eye tracking. Suitable for collaborative augmented reality (鈥淎R鈥�) applications, the patents are able to support a wide range of consumer, medical, military and industrial applications.

This broad technology portfolio is designed to be incorporated into many existing optical systems such as head-mounted displays and also has the potential to empower the development of next generation wearable optics for both augmented reality and fully immersive virtual reality (鈥淰R鈥�) applications. Wearable displays with compact illumination are able to project video, navigation, messaging and games and overlay augmented reality applications on a large virtual screen format with hands free operation.聽 The patent portfolio enables design trade-offs between packaging, illumination, field of view and resolution for AR/VR head-mounted projected displays.

This portfolio was developed at , the College of Optics and Photonics. CREOL is one of the world鈥檚 foremost institutions for research and education in optical and photonic science and engineering. Over the years, the college has maintained a tradition of promoting growth in optics and photonics and enjoys a strong partnership with industry.

The directors of Tekcapital believe this technology portfolio represents an important IP opportunity with the potential for market adoption across multiple sectors via out-licensing.

Industry potential
According to a report from research firm Gartner, Inc., by 2018 about a third of smart wearables will have near eye head-mounted displays (鈥淗MDs鈥�) with transparent interfaces incorporated into attractive and fashionable designs that will drive mainstream consumer adoption. These HMDs will support AR/VR applications in consumer-grade lightweight, video eyeglasses.

The directors of Tekcapital believe that AR glasses could be transformative and may become the user interface of choice, gradually replacing the hand held smart-phone touchscreen interface for many applications.

With these patents, the directors of Tekcapital believe Tekcapital is well placed to benefit from the growing interest in HMD patent portfolios, as demonstrated by several recently observed transactions by industry leaders聽 involving HMD patent portfolios, including Microsoft鈥檚 acquisition of the Osterhaut Design Group portfolio of 81 patents and applications for $150 Million, Facebook鈥檚 acquisition of Oculus VR for $2 Billion and Google鈥檚 acquisition of HMD patents from Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) for an undisclosed amount.

Commenting on the acquisition, Dr. Clifford M. Gross, Executive Chairman of Tekcapital, said, 鈥淲e are excited to have acquired the exclusive license to this important portfolio of patents from the 麻豆原创 and we look forward to commercializing this technology with forward-thinking technology companies that can benefit from improving their products with these advanced optical technologies.鈥�

Svetlana Shtrom, Ph.D., Director of Technology Transfer at the , added, 鈥淲e are pleased to have licensed this excellent portfolio of optical patents to Tekcapital and we are very excited about the potential for this technology to improve existing optical systems and empower a new generation of improved products.鈥�

Tekcapital will issue 479,060 new ordinary shares (鈥淐onsideration Shares鈥�) to 麻豆原创 for the acquisition of the exclusive license to this portfolio of 13 patents and provide a portion of the future revenue generated from the portfolio to the university.

Application will be made for the Consideration Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM, which is expected to become effective on or around 24 April 2015. The Consideration Shares will rank pari passu with the Company鈥檚 existing ordinary shares in issue.

Following the issue of the Consideration Shares later this month, Tekcapital will have in issue 23,928,579 ordinary shares of 0.4p each with one voting right each. The Company does not hold any ordinary shares in treasury. Therefore the total number of ordinary shares and voting rights in the Company will be 23,928,579.聽 This figure may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FCA’s Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

For further information please contact:
Tekcapital Plc – 305-200-3450, Ext: 305 – Clifford M. Gross, cgross@tekcapital.com

Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker) – 44(0)20-3394-2972- Jeremy Porter/ Alex Brearley

Optiva Securities Limited (Joint Broker) – 44(0)20-3137-1904
Jeremy King/Vishal Balasingham, jeremy.king@optivasecurities.com

FTI Consulting, LLP – 44(0)20-3727-1000 – Chris Lane/Emma Appleton/Roger Newby, tekcapital@fticonsulting.com

The Department of the Air Force notified the Photonics Research Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing (PRISM) on Wednesday that a concept paper submitted last month in response to a federal funding announcement has been selected to advance to the final level of the competition.

Team members including more than 55 industry partners and five key research universities – The 麻豆原创, Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Alabama-Huntsville, Clemson University, the University of Illinois 鈥� will now focus on preparing an 80-page full proposal. The competition is centered on strengthening the U.S. manufacturing base by developing innovations utilizing photonics circuits and identifying and overcoming obstacles in fabrication, packaging, testing and validation.

鈥淲e are of course pleased the Air Force has recognized the capability of our consortium to lead this national effort and are now fully engaged in inviting qualified industry partners to join us as we prepare the final proposal,鈥� said Winston Schoenfeld, PRISM director.

With confirmed interest of more than 55 companies spanning the entire value-chain of integrated photonics, Schoenfeld said PRISM is welcoming additional interested industry partners to participate in the development of an agenda of priority challenges in the evolution of integrated photonics. The full proposal is due March 31.

The DOD will award $110 million to the winner of the IP-IMI, which will bridge the gap between basic research and product development. Proposers are required to make an equal investment in the project. PRISM is anchored by $120 million in investments already committed by the 麻豆原创, Osceola County, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and Enterprise Florida in a 100,000- square-foot state of the art advanced manufacturing research facility being built in Osceola County. That facility is managed by the International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research (ICAMR), a non-profit industry-led consortium.

Osceola County鈥檚 more than $61 million investment for design, construction and equipment costs associated with the facility in addition to the land, makes pursuit of the grant more feasible, officials said.

Political leaders have embraced the efforts of PRISM and ICAMR and emphasize the potential economic impact such an ambitious project will have in the region.

Congressman John Mica of Winter Park, whose district includes 麻豆原创, said that the foresight of leaders at 麻豆原创, Osceola County, the Metro Orlando EDC and the Corridor, have worked together to position PRISM to align perfectly with the nation鈥檚 needs for advanced photonics capabilities and Florida desire for more manufacturing.

Congressman Dan Webster, who represents Florida鈥檚 10th district including part of the I-4 corridor, said “The 麻豆原创 College of Optics and Photonics is a recognized leader in photonics-related R&D, and I am excited for the positive impact that this industry cluster will have on Florida’s economic stability. Photonics is a critical aspect to our national security and global competitiveness, and I am in full support of 麻豆原创’s new initiative.”

Congressman Alan Grayson, whose district includes Osceola County, expressed excitement for the possibility of manufacturing growth in Central Florida and said 麻豆原创 has the strengths needed to lead the effort.

鈥淭he university is a global leader in the photonics field and it is uniquely positioned to lead this nationwide effort,鈥� Grayson said. 鈥淎n institute of this kind would be an incredible asset to the Central Florida community, bringing new employment opportunities to the area, increasing higher-wage jobs, and expanding our state鈥檚 economy.鈥�

And Sen. Bill Nelson, who has been a consistent supporter of 麻豆原创 and its research efforts, said, 鈥淭his is yet another feather in 麻豆原创鈥檚 cap as the university continues to establish itself as a major research institution.鈥�
Securing federal funding for PRISM greatly adds to the roughly 30,000 photonics-related jobs in the state, said Alex Fong, president of the Florida Photonics Cluster. While a 2009 report by The Corridor and Florida Photonics Cluster put the gross regional product at $3.65 billion and sales of these companies at $7.27 billion, the national impact of the industry rises to more than $3 trillion.

Potential partners are encouraged to contact project lead Michael Macedonia at Michael.Macedonia@ucf.edu or (407) 453-1551.

Townes, who made world-changing contributions in the field of optics and lasers, had long-term ties to 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Optics and Photonics and the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers.

麻豆原创 dedicated the Townes Laser Institute in his honor in May 2007. The institute, one of the largest and best known in the nation, is led by Martin Richardson, a 麻豆原创 Pegasus Professor and University Trustee Chair of Optics & Photonics.

Richardson said he would never forget the first meeting he had with Townes four years after Townes shared the Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of the laser.

鈥淎t that time (1964) his invention was described as a solution looking for a problem,鈥� Richardson said. However, since Richardson had recently obtained his Ph.D. in lasers he was quick to take advantage of a trip to the University of California at Berkeley in 1968 by asking Townes for a meeting.

鈥淗e was so gracious with his willingness to talk lasers and science with someone he had never known before and who was just starting out,鈥� Richardson said. 鈥淗e gave me a sense of how big science was and how big the benefits could be to humankind.鈥�

Richardson stayed in touch with Townes during the years and was instrumental in getting him to visit 麻豆原创 on three occasions 鈥� in 1999 for the inauguration of the School of Optics, in 2007 for the dedication of the Townes Laser Institute and the receipt of an honorary degree from the university, and in 2012 for CREOL鈥檚 25th anniversary. He last saw Townes during a visit last year in Oakland.

Many others at 麻豆原创 benefitted from Townes鈥� generosity and his personal touch.

鈥淗e gave so much to humanity through his intellect, his curiosity, and his generosity, especially with his time. He was an inspiration to so many generations of students and will be for generations to come, said MJ Soileau, CREOL鈥檚 founding director and 麻豆原创鈥檚 vice president for research and commercialization.

During his last visit to 麻豆原创 two years ago, Townes posed for a picture on campus re-creating what has become a world-changing moment in 1951. Townes, who was then at Columbia University studying various methods of stimulating atoms to emit light, was on a visit to funding agencies in Washington, when he left his hotel room early one morning to sit on a park bench and came up with the theory behind the maser which he published four years later.

With confirmed interest of more than 55 companies spanning the entire value-chain of integrated photonics, PRISM is seeking additional interested industry partners to participate in the development of an agenda of priority challenges in the evolution of integrated photonics.聽 PRISM is gearing up to submit a full proposal by March 31.

The Department of Defense will award $110 million to the winner of the IP-IMI, which will bridge the gap between basic research and product development. Proposers are required to make an equal investment in the project.聽 PRISM is anchored by $120 million in investments already committed by the 麻豆原创, Osceola County, the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and Enterprise Florida in a 100,000- square-foot state of the art advanced manufacturing research facility being built in Osceola County. That facility is managed by the International Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research (ICAMR), a non-profit industry-led consortium.

PRISM is led by Winston Schoenfeld, who currently serves as director of the crystalline silicon (c-Si) branch of the Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC), and was responsible for the establishment of the first industry-led domestic manufacturing consortium for c-Si photovoltaics.聽 He also serves as director of the Solar Technologies Research Division at 麻豆原创鈥檚 Florida Solar Energy Center, and is an associate professor of optics at CREOL, The College of Optics & Photonics. Schoenfeld has a broad background that spans both academia and industry, including high-tech startups, uniquely positioning him to lead this effort across industrial, academic, and government sectors.

The competition seeks to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing base by developing innovations utilizing photonics circuits and identifying and overcoming obstacles in fabrication, packaging, testing and validation.

Osceola County鈥檚 more than $61 million investment for design, construction and equipment costs associated with the facility in addition to the land, makes pursuit of the grant more feasible, officials said.

Additional collaborators have the opportunity to help shape PRISM鈥檚 response to the federal call to provide national leadership in establishing a robust and vital integrated photonics industry.

Political leaders have embraced the efforts of PRISM and ICAMR and emphasize the potential economic impact such an ambitious project will have in the region.

Congressman Dan Webster, who represents Florida鈥檚 10th district including part of the I-4 corridor, said “The 麻豆原创 College of Optics and Photonics聽is a recognized leader in photonics-related R&D, and I am excited for the positive impact that this industry cluster will have on Florida’s economic stability. Photonics is a critical aspect to our national security and global competitiveness, and I am in full support of 麻豆原创’s new initiative.”

Congressman Alan Grayson, whose district includes Osceola County, expressed excitement for the possibility of manufacturing growth in Central Florida and said 麻豆原创 has the strengths needed to lead the effort.

鈥淭he university is a global leader in the photonics field and it is uniquely positioned to lead this nationwide effort,鈥� Grayson said. 鈥淎n institute of this kind would be an incredible asset to the Central Florida community, bringing new employment opportunities to the area, increasing higher-wage jobs, and expanding our state鈥檚 economy.鈥�

And Sen. Bill Nelson, who has been a consistent supporter of 麻豆原创 and its research efforts, said, 鈥淭his is yet another feather in 麻豆原创鈥檚 cap as the university continues to establish itself as a major research institution.鈥�

Securing federal funding for PRISM would greatly add to the roughly 30,000 photonics-related jobs in the state, said Alex Fong, president of the Florida Photonics Cluster. While a 2009 report by The Corridor and Florida Photonics Cluster put the gross regional product at $3.65 billion and sales of these companies at $7.27 billion, the national impact of the industry rises to more than $3 trillion.

Potential partners are encouraged to contact project lead Michael Macedonia at Michael.Macedonia@ucf.edu or (407) 453-1551.