We are delighted to announce the winners of the STS Elionix Scientific Image Competition, in which Tyndall researchers share images from the visually striking or informative to the technically excellent. Three winners are each awarded a €100 All-4-One voucher, kindly sponsored by STS Elionix.
We have made changes to our competition so that the members of the judging panel do not know whose work they are judging, assuring impartiality. We are also pleased to have expanded our judging panel. The judges for the Q1/Q2 Competition were William Scanlon, CEO; Eoin O'Reilly, Chief Scientist; Peter Smyth, Commercial Director; Ursula Morrish, Marketing & Communications Manager; Graeme Maxwell, Head of Specialty Products & Services; and Daniela Iacopino, Researcher, MNS.
The votes cast have resulted in the following three winners, and we offer our congratulations to our first place winner Ivan-Lazar Bundalo and to Daniel Smallwood and Arindam Samanta, tied for second place.
Magnetic Crown (2nd)
This is the top surface of electroplated amorphous cobalt phosphorus magnetic thin film which could be very useful for inductor core, planner flux gate sensor etc.
Arindam Samanta
Micropower and Nanomagnetics
Oculus (2nd)
This mesmerizing image captures the diffraction pattern from a circular photomask occulter, with UV light rays propagating according to the Huygens-Fresnel principle. This exemplifies monochromatic light, wherein the time domain is neglected and additionally, the z-dimension has been projected into x-y space. This phenomenon is observed in photolithography, which is essential for high aspect ratio photoresist relief image fabrication. This work is part of the SFI Adept project.
Daniel Smallwood
Integrated Magnetics Electrochemical Materials and Energy
Datacom PIC Assembly on Euro Coin (1st)
This Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) is a "heart" of a Datacom Transceiver, developed within the PIXAPP project. On top of the PIC are integrated: 2 Highspeed EICs for modulation and demodulation of optical signal (top); a laser, ball lens and prism on micro-optical sub-assembly (right), and micro-lenses for relaxed-tolerance optical coupling to/from the PIC (bottom). This complex assembly and integration was done at 4 different locations in Europe.
Ivan-Lazar Bundalo
Photonics Packaging
Judge Daniela Iacopino, commenting on the winning image, said:
It's astonishing how such a small device can incorporate so many exquisitely integrated elements. The PIC Datacom Transceiver is a great example of highly complex assembled devices, demonstrated in a visually striking way.
As part of her work at Tyndall, Dr Iacopino has been involved in two research projects developing scientific tools and methodologies for the investigation of the chemical content in art materials and objects, of both contemporary and Gaelic/mediaeval origin. She is currently part of a project developing integrated sensors for the monitoring of art objects in museum settings.