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Michael Parker

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Visiting Fellow, University of Essex

Dr Mike Parker has over 25 years experience in photonics and wireless technologies. During his career, he has pioneered many important technologies, including his doctoral research (at Cambridge University, 1993-1996) where he invented the use of liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) technologies for high-resolution holographic flexgrid (WDM) wavelength control for optical telecommunications.

Having received his PhD, Dr Parker worked for over 10 years at Fujitsu (1997-2007), located in the UK, USA, and Japan. While with Fujitsu he invented the use of cascaded and cyclic arrayed-waveguide gratings (AWGs) in an optical access network topology, now forming the dominant physical-layer architecture for next-generation passive optical networking (PON) high-speed broadband networks. In 1998 he invented the application of aperiodic grating structures to photonic crystals, creating the only means to achieve a multi-wavelength photonic bandgap, forming the basis for the world’s first electronically-tunable THz quantum cascade laser (QCL). In recent years, he has also pioneered the application of thermodynamic principles to computation and communications theory, advocating the first absolute energy efficiency metric (dBe) for ICT technologies. He has also invented novel microstructured optical fibre using Fresnel zones, azimuthally graded-index (GRIN) fibre, and pioneered the use of optical orbital angular moment (OAM) light for cryptographic telecommunications.

From 2007-2018 Mike was a Research Fellow working with Prof. Stuart Walker at University of Essex where he innovated in the application of entropy theory to the design of flexgrid elastic optical networking, researching closely with BT. He is now currently a Visiting Fellow at Essex University. Mike has also researched 5G technologies (optical and wireless) in various EU H2020 and 5G-PPP research projects, where he used millimetre-wave (mmW) technologies for high capacity, massive IoT, and high performance 5G telecommunications systems.

A surprising consequence emerging from his research collaboration with BT is that Mike was able to develop with Prof. Chris Jeynes (Surrey University) a new geometric entropy theory based on the Principle of Least Exertion (a path-integral based variational calculus) and Maximum Entropy. They have applied their new theory to the structure of DNA as well as double-armed spiral galaxies, such as the Milky Way, to provide an alternative physical understanding to the issue of the so-called “dark matter”.

Mike is the Founder and CEO of his own technology consultancy company, Lexden Technologies Ltd., where is currently involved in the EU 5G-PPP Phase-2 project 5G Metro-Haul. He has filed over 20 patents, and published 177 conference & journal papers over his career.

Experience

  • 2007–present
    Director, Lexden Technologies Ltd.
  • 2018–present
    Visiting Fellow, University of Essex
  • 2008–2018
    Research Fellow, University of Essex
  • 1997–2007
    Principal Research Engineer, Fujitsu Labs of Europe

Education

  • 1997 
    University of Cambridge, PhD
  • 1995 
    University of Cambridge, MA
  • 1992 
    University of Cambridge, BA

Publications

  • 2019
    Maximum Entropy (Most Likely) Double Helical and Double Logarithmic Spiral Trajectories in Space-Time, Scientific Reports
  • 2018
    5G System Design: Architectural and Functional Considerations and Long Term Research, Chapter 9: 5G Security, John Wiley & Sons
  • 2017
    Ultra-High-Definition Video Transmission for Mission-Critical Communication Systems Applications: Challenges and Solutions, Multimedia Services and Applications in Mission Critical Communication Systems, IGI Global
  • 2016
    Assessment of socio-techno-economic factors affecting the market adoption and evolution of 5G networks: evidence from the 5G-PPP CHARISMA project, Journal of Telematics and Informatics
  • 2016
    Hierarchical, virtualised and distributed intelligence 5G architecture for low-latency and secure applications, Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies
  • 2015
    Minimum- and Maximum-Entropy Routing and Spectrum Assignment for Flexgrid Elastic Optical Networking , Journal of Communications and Networks
  • 2015
    Multiple Fiber, Flexgrid Elastic Optical Network Design using MaxEnt Optimization , Journal of Communications and Networks
  • 2014
    A Unified Carnot Thermodynamic and Shannon Channel Capacity Information-Theoretic Energy Efficiency Analysis, IEEE Transactions on Communications
  • 2011
    Roadmapping ICT: An Absolute Energy Efficiency Metric, Journal of Optical Communications and Networks
  • 2010
    A Dynamic Model of Information and Entropy, Entropy
  • 2010
    Radio-over fibre technologies arising from the Building the future Optical Network in Europe (BONE) project, IET Optoelectronics Journal
  • 2008
    Differential temperature Carnot heat analysis shows that computing machines are thermodynamically irreversible, Optics Communications
  • 2007
    Is computation reversible?, Optics Communications
  • 2007
    Graeco-Latin-routed, self-wrapping, FSR-interleaved, AWG-based access network, Journal of Communications and Networks
  • 2005
    Comparison of Zoned Fiber Geometries for Low Dispersion Waveguiding, Journal of Lightwave Technology
  • 2005
    A Fourier (k-) space design approach for controllable photonic band and localization states in aperiodic lattices, Photonics and Nanostructures: Fundamentals and Applications
  • 2005
    Effect of Polarization Dependent Loss and Temperature Fluctuations on Degree of Orthogonality in Polarization Multiplexed Arrayed Waveguide Grating based Networks, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics
  • 2005
    Binary Multi-Zoned Microstructured Fiber: A Comparative Dispersion Analysis of Radially-Chirped Bragg Fiber, Journal of Lightwave Technology
  • 2004
    Polarisation and wavelength division multiplexing at 1.55 μm for bandwidth enhancement of multimode fibre based access networks, Optics Express
  • 2004
    Zoned microstructure fibre for low dispersion waveguiding and coupling to photonic crystals, Optics Letters
  • 2004
    Information transfer and Landauer’s principle, Optics Communications
  • 2004
    Experimental demonstration of cascaded AWG access network featuring bi-directional transmission and polarization multiplexing, Optics Express
  • 2003
    C-band polarisation orthogonality preservation in 5Gb/s, 50μm multimode fibre links up to 3km, Optics Express
  • 2002
    0.6Tb/s-km Multimode Fibre Feasibility-Experiment using 40-Channel DWDM over Quadrature-Subcarrier Transmission, Electronics Letters
  • 2002
    AWGs, FBGs, and photonic crystals: An isomorphic Fourier transform light propagation analysis, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics
  • 2002
    A unified Fourier transform theory for photonic crystal and FBG filters in the strong-coupling regime, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
  • 2001
    An Isomorphic Fourier Transform Analysis of AWGs and FBGs, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
  • 2001
    Multiple order adaptive dispersion compensation using polynomially-chirped grating devices, Applied Physics B
  • 2001
    A Fourier transform theory for photon localization and evanescence in photonic bandgap structures, Journal of Optics A
  • 2000
    Applications of Active AWGs in Dynamic WDM Networking and Routing, Journal of Lightwave Technology
  • 1999
    100-GHz-Resolution Dynamic Holographic Channel Management for WDM, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
  • 1999
    A Fourier-Fresnel Integral-Based Transfer Function Model for a Near-Parabolic Phase Profile Arrayed-Waveguide Grating, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
  • 1999
    Design of Arrayed-Waveguide Gratings using Hybrid Fourier-Fresnel Transform Techniques, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics
  • 1998
    Wavelength-Tolerant Optical Access Architectures Featuring N-Dimensional Addressing and Cascaded Arrayed-Waveguide Gratings, Journal of Lightwave Technology
  • 1998
    Dynamic Digital Holographic Wavelength Filtering, Journal of Lightwave Technology
  • 1997
    Dynamic Holographic Spectral Equalization for WDM, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
  • 1996
    Digitally tunable wavelength filter and laser, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters

Grants and Contracts

  • 2017
    Metro-Haul
    Role:
    Deputy Technical Manager
    Funding Source:
    EU H2020 5G-PPP
  • 2015
    NIRVANA
    Role:
    WP Leader
    Funding Source:
    EPSRC
  • 2015
    CHARISMA
    Role:
    Technical Manager
    Funding Source:
    EU H2020 5G-PPP
  • 2015
    iCIRRUS
    Role:
    WP Leader
    Funding Source:
    EU H2020
  • 2012
    SODALES
    Role:
    WP Leader
    Funding Source:
    EU FP7
  • 2012
    IDEALIST
    Role:
    Task Leader
    Funding Source:
    EU FP7
  • 2010
    STRONGEST
    Role:
    Task Leader
    Funding Source:
    EP FP7
  • 2010
    FIVER
    Role:
    WP Leader
    Funding Source:
    EU FP7
  • 2010
    OASE
    Role:
    Task Leader
    Funding Source:
    EP FP7
  • 2008
    BONE
    Role:
    Task Leader
    Funding Source:
    EU FP7
  • 2005
    ePhoton/ONe+
    Role:
    Task Leader
    Funding Source:
    EP FP6

Professional Memberships

  • The Institution of Engineering and Technology
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • Optical Society of America (OSA)
  • Cambridge Philosophical Society