Newsletter: Fall 2013

Friday, October 18, 2013

Research News

Solving the synchronization problem in power networks
Scientists find a concise formula to predict stable synchronization in complex power networks.

High-power bright white light using laser sources
Institute researchers have recently demonstrated an alternative to light emitting diodes (LEDs).

Advances in computing technology: memristors and neural applications
A new hybrid approach in computing technology will help develop next generation memory as a potential scalable alternative for DRAM.

Developing low-cost cellular network architecture for remote areas
Researchers are working on solutions to help alleviate the problems of high cost and low availability of cellular network access in remote rural areas.

Institute & Faculty News

CPV Technology Roundtable report published [CPV]
The report from the Institute's Technology Roundtable on concentrator photovoltaics was published in the October 2013 issue of the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics.

Institute announces two new Industry Partners
The Copper Development Association & Gentherm Inc. have joined the Institute's Industry Partners Program.

Galen Stucky has been named a fellow of the American Chemical Society
96 fellows were chosen for their outstanding accomplishments in Chemistry and contributions to the ACS, the world's largest scientific society.

Start-up Highlight

A new generation of solar innovation from NEXT Energy Technologies
UCSB start-up Next Energy Technologies has developed a new generation of solar technology based on breakthrough organic semiconductors pioneered at UC Santa Barbara.
http://www.nextenergytech.com/

In the News

UCSB startup Soraa unveiled a second generation of LED lamps that generate 40% more light.

UCSB startup Transphorm released first JEDEC-qualified 600 volt GaN on silicon devices for efficient power conversion.

The latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report put UC Santa Barbara as #11 among the country's top public universities.

An editorial on highlights from the 2013 Summit on Energy Efficiency was published in the American Institute of Physics' Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy.

Upcoming Events

Institute Seminar: The Changing Energy Landscape - A Summary of Key Issues & Trends - David Auston, October 30 @4pm.

Institute & Chemistry Dept. Seminar: In Situ Synchrotron Studies of Nanoparticle Formation and Growth in Supercritical Fluids - Bo Iversen, November 6 @2pm.

Institute Seminar: Confining Light on a Chip: The Science of Optical Micro-Resonators - Kerry Vahala, November 6 @4pm.

Institute Seminar: Personal Perspectives on Advancing Energy Sustainability - Millie Dresselhaus, 2013 UC Santa Barbara Dow Distinguished Lecturer, November 20 @4pm.

Materials Research Outreach Program Symposium (MROP 2014) - Feb 4-5, 2014.

Videos

John Bowers' 2013 Faculty Research Lecture on the history and Promise of Silicon Photonics.

Institute seminar by Dan Dapkus, USC: Semiconductor Nanostructures in Energy Devices.

Institute seminar by Alan Sellinger, Colorado School of Mines: Materials for Organic Photovoltaics: Non-Fullerene Acceptors and Low-Band Gap Dyes for BHJ OPVs.