The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved the establishment of the Center for Photonics Innovation, a center that will combine the Arizona State University’s research and teaching resources.

The center has formed as an answer to the university’s expanding research, education and entrepreneurial endeavors in photonics engineering and science. The center’s research focuses on semiconductor photonic materials and devices, as well as their applications.

It will be directed by Yong-Hang Zhang, a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, one of ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

According to Zhang, one of the primary goals at the center is to engage more ASU researchers from varied science and engineering specialties in efforts to advance fundamental knowledge of photon-matter interactions, pursue more use-inspired device and system applications, and to develop more active entrepreneurship development.

“We’re committed not only to achieving new discoveries and promoting commercialization of emerging technologies, but to a high academic standard for developing our students into first-rate science and engineering scholars and researchers,” he said.

The new establishment is an outgrowth of the Center for Nanophotonics, which was part of the Arizona Institute for Nano-Electronics at ASU and founded in 2006.

For more information, visit: www.photonics.asu.edu