This award supports cooperative research in electrical engineering to be conducted by Peter Herczfeld of the Center for Microwave-Lightwave Engineering (CMLE) at Drexel University and Alvaro De Salles of the Center for Studies in Telecommunications (CETUC) of the Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro. The scientific areas of the cooperative research are the interaction of high frequency electromagnetic and light waves in semiconductor devices and fiberoptic sensors. Drexel has an active program studying the interaction of lightwaves and high-frequency electromagnetic waves in semi- conducting materials and devices. These studies include the nonlinear behavior of semi-conductor lasers with external cavities and the performance of monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) components under optical illumination. In addition CMLE has an active program in fiberoptic sensor devices. In Brazil, CETUC has well established programs in the same technical areas. At CETUC, research is progressing on sensors for the Brazilian power industry. The proposed cooperative work will adapt the methods developed at CMLE for voltage and current sensing, which is of interest to CETUC, and expand on the basic understanding of modal coupling in fibers. Both experimental and analytic research are planned. Previous contacts between the researchers at CETUC and CMLE have included exchange of scientific information and sample devices, exchange of graduate students, visits and lectures at each institution and collaboration on scientific articles and books. This work represents the culmination of a previous informal cooperation. The proposed research will be a natural extension of present activities and will emphasize the overlapping interests of these two collaborating partners in the fundamental, generic aspect of the research topics identified above.
