Winnie Ye
Carleton University
Nanotechnologist Winnie Ye has seen the light. Or at least the light particles.
Ye studies devices that use photons – particles of light – rather than electrons to communicate and process information. Photonics is revolutionizing a wide range of technologies.
“Light is everywhere,” says Ye. “We get it from the sun, from light bulbs, from lasers and many other places. The application of my research ranges over solar energy, telecommunication, computing, and biomedical sensing.”
While her team has been doing some exciting work on silicon chips used for telecommunications applications, they also have been at the forefront of improvements in the energy conversion of photovoltaic cells, otherwise known as solar energy panels.
“What intriguing about my research is that I work with both visible and invisible light wavelengths,” she says. Expanding solar energy conversion beyond the visible spectrum allows more of the suns energy to be converted into usable power.
Solar energy faces many challenges, from the unevenness of energy production to the efficiency of energy conversion. Each technological advance, though, makes solar a more viable component of a renewable power source model.
In addition to improving solar power generation, Ye would also like to see the full commercialization of silicon photonics and for telecommuncation, computing and sensing.
“The individual building blocks are all there, except an efficient silicon-based laser source,” she says. “One of our holy grails would be the discovery of a silicon laser that works at room temperature. With the availability of such a laser source, we could connect all the other data transmission and processing components to complete a highly compact and efficient system.”
Imagine for a moment you are a business owner competing with a firm in Ohio to sell your product to a customer in Michigan. You may be able to match ...
Roughly 40 per cent of Internet users decide whether a website is trustworthy based on its visual appeal. But if you are blind, how do you choose which websites to trust?
Assess young children's practical use of language to get what they need or share their interests. This type of language is significant because it is linked to the ability to ...
Every heartbeat contains insights. Every breath is a packet of information. Our bodies emit a steady stream of data about our health and development.
A less painful, more accurate method for detecting cancer. It is hard to think of a more meritorious goal for a researcher.
Winnie Ye studies devices that use photons – particles of light – rather than electrons to communicate and process information. Photonics is revolutionizing a wide range of technologies.
Aaron Berg uses satellite data and hydrology models to help us better understand issues with water availability, whether it be a matter of too much or too little.
Ravi Selvaganapathy is working to develop sensors that could be used to monitor lakes, rivers, and streams as well as municipal water supply networks. Using an interface similar to Google’...
Most people think of Canada’s Arctic region as a bastion of pristine environmental purity, not the home of a booming mining industry. The work of Celine Guéguen, a ...
“My work may result in changes to regulation that governs financial markets and to the behavior of market participants,” says Andriy Shkilko. “Ultimately, better markets lead to better investment outcomes.”
Like many young boys, Ali Emadi loved playing with cars. He would line them up and make them zoom around the room for hours. But Emadi wasn’t just playing ...
Most governments have recognized the need to shift to sustainable energy production and storage. And yet, there still isn’t a clear, defined way to move forward. “Energy is the ...
They can pull objects faster than a speeding bullet, levitate a train, or reveal a brain tumour. They’re integral to computer hard drives, smart phones, and LCD screens, as ...
An upsurge in "wearable technology" measn that people may soon be buying clothing and accessories as much for processing power as for style.
Where did we come from? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? “Curiosity about the world is part of what makes us human,” says Ray Jayawardhana, who ...
Many psychics claim to be able to read people’s minds, but neuroscientist Jody Culham can really do it – with a little help from a machine. The Western University professor ...
What if you woke up one morning to discover that an advanced polymer production facility – a plant capable of producing the raw materials for everything from car parts to packing ...
It is the most complex organ, controlling our every move. It is fundamental to who we are, and how we think, behave, and react. We all have one, yet we ...
Putting your best foot forward – it's really a balancing act. Just ask Stephen Perry, a Wilfrid Laurier University kinesiologist who’s researching how our feet impact our ability to balance. ...
“I thought I would go into an area like nuclear physics,” says Raquel Murray, Master of Modelling and Computational Science, class of 2012. Instead she researches the physics of how blood ...
Karen Hinzer is a researcher, not a superhero. She doesn’t have infrared vision. She does, however, have a vision about infrared radiation. And ultraviolet. And other parts of the ...
Seven-year-old Felix loves music. Since he was a toddler he’s been jamming with his father on guitar, and learning the words to Bob Dylan, Raffi, and K’naan. A ...
A snow-covered road. Heavy traffic. Beyond your line of sight, a driver brakes suddenly at an icy stretch. You can’t see the brake lights, but your car receives real-time ...
When you think about it, it makes sense that automobile plants might have some relationship to bumper crops. At least, it makes sense when Trent University biomaterials researcher Suresh Narine ...
So-called “participatory culture” went from neologism to the new normal so quickly, it makes your head spin. Social media, mobile devices, and an increasing array of digital tools have made ...
Because Alzheimer’s has genetic causes, it makes many people feel helpless, prey to whatever cruel destiny is preordained in their DNA. Bennett’s research, though, demonstrates that people have ...
Graydon Raymer makes people breathe heavy and gets hearts beating faster. It’s all in the name of research that could one day save a life or help an elite ...
Yvonne Robertson | April 24, 2017
How smart are your clothes? And how can their ... read more »
Sharon Oosthoek | March 6, 2017
Every second Thursday, we will be featuring an Ontario ... read more »
Jeremy Depow | February 10, 2017
Digitalization is happening at a furious pace influencing almost every ... read more »
Yvonne Robertson | December 28, 2016
For Research Matters, 2016 was filled with cool research news and ... read more »
Yvonne Robertson | December 16, 2016
It is a bright time for Ontario’s space researchers. ... read more »
Yvonne Robertson | December 9, 2016
Not such a long time ago, in a galaxy not ... read more »
Stay up-to-date on your Ontario university research events, announcements and more by signing up.
