DATE: March 11, 2008
CONTACT:
John Ballato, (864) 656-1035
jballat@clemson.edu
WRITER:
Susan Polowczuk, (864) 656-2063
spolowc@clemson.edu
Carolina universities partner in photonics
CLEMSON — Through its Carolinas MicroOptics Triangle (CMOT) partnership with UNC Charlotte and Western Carolina, Clemson University strives to develop new light-based technologies that get to the consumer faster, while also creating jobs for the Carolinas.
The Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET) at Clemson is an interdisciplinary research unit of the College of Engineering and Science. COMSET provides an organized framework with significant centralized infrastructure for faculty having common interests to collaborate in developing advanced materials that exhibit a value-added interaction with light. The science and engineering of light-based technologies is presently an estimated $300 billion global market opportunity that is growing at double-digit rates toward a projected $1 trillion market by 2015.
Clemson professor and director of the COMSET John Ballato says that the three universities working together hastens the delivery of new technologies that cover the spectrum from development to testing to integration and manufacturing.
“It’s really one stop shopping for business and industry by having full capability in one region. The time it takes to get a product on the market is greatly reduced,” he said.
To date, more than 150 new jobs have been created, new degree programs have been established and the two-state region has established a reputation as a top four academic cluster center in the country. An estimated $200 million has been invested over the last three years, making CMOT one of the largest optics centers in the world.
The Carolinas Photonics Consortium (CPC), which includes the three CMOT universities along with Duke and North Carolina State, provided seed funding for five projects aimed at commercializing photonics-based technologies. Professor Phil Brown of Clemson University was one of the funding winners for his program “Light Emissive Nanocomposite Fiber.” His project incorporates specific nanoparticles into unique polymer fiber structures and could produce fibers with optical properties that have applications in textile and security-system products. Other winning projects include the development of a non-invasive and quick optical spectroscopy of potentially cancerous breast tissue and the design of a scalpel that could lead to smaller spot sizes that deliver power for high-precision surgical or industrial needs.
Approximately $400 million has been invested from state and federal funds over the last 10 years in this consortium at the five partner schools, making CPC the largest concentration of photonics-based resources in the country.
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