Tingye Li
Encyclopedia
Dr. Tingye Li is a world-renowned scientist in the fields of microwaves, lasers and optical communications. His innovational work at AT&T, which pioneered the research and application of lightwave communication, has had a far-reaching impact on information technology for over four decades.
, Jiangsu Province, the eldest son of a diplomat. His father was a senior officer of the Chinese Foreign Ministry (Before 1949, the Republic of China
) and had served as an ambassador to several countries. At the age of 12, Li left China to join his father in Canada, where he lived for several years before moving to the United States of America.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Witwatersrand, and his Ph. D. from Northwestern University
. After graduation, he began working at Bell Telephone Laboratories (later AT&T Bell Laboratories) in 1957, and worked there for 41 years until his retirement from AT&T Labs
in 1998. During that time, he wrote and contributed to many journal papers, patents, and books in the areas of antennas, microwave propagation, lasers and optical communications.
In 1961, Li and his colleague A. Gardner Fox published a paper titled Resonant modes in a maser interferometer, which showed that "a laser beam bouncing back and forth between a pair of mirrors can resonate for a number of modes of energy distribution and for each of these traverse modes there is a different characteristic phase velocity and attenuation per transit." They used computer simulation
techniques to obtain their data. This work was the first to point out that an open-sided resonator containing a laser medium should have unique modes of propagation, which is fundamental to the theory and practice of lasers. This work is now considered a classic and has been cited over 595 times (SCI
) since its publication in 1961 until 1979 when Mr. Fox recalled and gave some remarks on their work.
From the late 1960s, Li engaged in pioneering research on lightwave technologies and systems, which are now ubiquitously deployed in the telecommunications industry. In the late 1980s, when the whole world’s attention on optical communication
was still focused on a single-channel high speed solution, he and his team developed the world’s first (sparse channel) WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) system at AT&T Bell Labs. With the understanding that a technique that can only be put into real use if it remains backwards-compatible with existing technology, he (and his team) proposed and studied the use of optical amplifiers in WDM systems, which utilized the existing embedded base to create virtual fibers by putting more channels onto a single fibre. Their experiment in 1992 at Roaring Creek
turned out to be a "roaring success" as Li claimed in an interview, allowing 2.5 Gbit/s transmission per channel, the highest rate available at the time. The use of optical amplifiers changed the paradigm of network economics
and is considered to be of revolutionary significance (though evolutionary in design) in the history of lightwave communications.
Li is active in a number of academic societies. He is the initiator of many conferences in optical communication and has often been invited to give plenary speeches. Because of his outstanding contribution and spirit of service, he was elected the President of the Optical Society of America
(OSA) in 1995. He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering
, the Academia Sinica
(Taiwan) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering
.
is an important figure in China's modern history and was a governor of Taiwan province
. He himself who? has also made a great contribution to the development of China’s optical communication industry. He who? became one of the first batch of specially hired experts of the Chinese State Council
, participating in major state science and technology decision-making. He who? has also introduced lots of world-class experts to lecture in China, bringing to the country the state-of-art technology in optical communication. Thanks to his effort, the research and application of optical communication in China has made a great progress in the recent 20 years. He who? was named an honorary professor at many universities in China (including Tsinghua University
, Peking University
, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications
, Northern Jiaotong University, Fudan University
, Nankai University
, Tianjin University
, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
, and Qufu Normal University), and was granted an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree by National Chiao Tung University
in Taiwan
.
".
Dr. Tingye Li lives with his wife Edith Wu in Boulder, Colorado
. He is an independent consultant in the field of lightwave communications. His brother Ting-Kai Li is a prominent medical scientist and is the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
(NIAAA). His brother-in-law is Sherman Wu
, well-known for his struggles against racism at Northwestern University.
- Tingye Li at OFC
'02, adapted from "Ode to the West Wind
", by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Education and Research
Tingye Li was born in 1931 in NanjingNanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Jiangsu Province, the eldest son of a diplomat. His father was a senior officer of the Chinese Foreign Ministry (Before 1949, the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
) and had served as an ambassador to several countries. At the age of 12, Li left China to join his father in Canada, where he lived for several years before moving to the United States of America.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Witwatersrand, and his Ph. D. from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. After graduation, he began working at Bell Telephone Laboratories (later AT&T Bell Laboratories) in 1957, and worked there for 41 years until his retirement from AT&T Labs
AT&T Labs
AT&T Labs, Inc. is the research & development division of AT&T, where scientists and engineers work to understand and advance innovative technologies relevant to networking, communications, and information. Over 1800 employees work in six locations: Florham Park, NJ; Middletown, NJ; Austin, TX;...
in 1998. During that time, he wrote and contributed to many journal papers, patents, and books in the areas of antennas, microwave propagation, lasers and optical communications.
In 1961, Li and his colleague A. Gardner Fox published a paper titled Resonant modes in a maser interferometer, which showed that "a laser beam bouncing back and forth between a pair of mirrors can resonate for a number of modes of energy distribution and for each of these traverse modes there is a different characteristic phase velocity and attenuation per transit." They used computer simulation
Computer simulation
A computer simulation, a computer model, or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system...
techniques to obtain their data. This work was the first to point out that an open-sided resonator containing a laser medium should have unique modes of propagation, which is fundamental to the theory and practice of lasers. This work is now considered a classic and has been cited over 595 times (SCI
Science Citation Index
The Science Citation Index is a citation index originally produced by the Institute for Scientific Information and created by Eugene Garfield in 1960, which is now owned by Thomson Reuters. The larger version covers more than 6,500 notable and significant journals, across 150 disciplines, from ...
) since its publication in 1961 until 1979 when Mr. Fox recalled and gave some remarks on their work.
From the late 1960s, Li engaged in pioneering research on lightwave technologies and systems, which are now ubiquitously deployed in the telecommunications industry. In the late 1980s, when the whole world’s attention on optical communication
Optical communication
Optical communication is any form of telecommunication that uses light as the transmission medium.An optical communication system consists of a transmitter, which encodes a message into an optical signal, a channel, which carries the signal to its destination, and a receiver, which reproduces the...
was still focused on a single-channel high speed solution, he and his team developed the world’s first (sparse channel) WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) system at AT&T Bell Labs. With the understanding that a technique that can only be put into real use if it remains backwards-compatible with existing technology, he (and his team) proposed and studied the use of optical amplifiers in WDM systems, which utilized the existing embedded base to create virtual fibers by putting more channels onto a single fibre. Their experiment in 1992 at Roaring Creek
Roaring Creek Township, Pennsylvania
Roaring Creek Township is a township in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 495 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 23.5 square miles , of which, 23.5 square miles of it is land and...
turned out to be a "roaring success" as Li claimed in an interview, allowing 2.5 Gbit/s transmission per channel, the highest rate available at the time. The use of optical amplifiers changed the paradigm of network economics
Network economics
Network economics refers to business economics that benefit from the network effect. This is when the value of a good or service increases when others buy the same good or service...
and is considered to be of revolutionary significance (though evolutionary in design) in the history of lightwave communications.
Li is active in a number of academic societies. He is the initiator of many conferences in optical communication and has often been invited to give plenary speeches. Because of his outstanding contribution and spirit of service, he was elected the President of the Optical Society of America
Optical Society of America
The Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
(OSA) in 1995. He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
, the Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica
The Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
(Taiwan) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Chinese Academy of Engineering
The Chinese Academy of Engineering is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for engineering. It was established in 1994 and is an institution of the State Council of China...
.
| Division | Position | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Radio Research Department | Researcher | 1957–1967 |
| Repeater Techniques Research Department | Director | 1967–1976 |
| Lightwave Media Research Department | Director | 1976–1984 |
| Lightwave Systems Research Department | Director | 1984–1996 |
| AT&T AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services... Labs-Research, Communications Infrastructure Research Laboratory |
Division Manager | 1996–1998 |
| AT&T AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services... |
Consultant | 1999–2002 |
Chinese heritage
Dr. Tingye Li’s father had served in the Chinese government for many years. His mother was one of the first generation of Chinese women who received a modern higher education, and was an activist in the Chinese women’s liberation movement. His father-in-law K. C. WuK. C. Wu
K. C. Wu was a Chinese political figure and historian.-Early life:K.C. Wu was born in Central China and grew up in Beijing, where his father served in the military. He studied at both Nankai High School, where Zhou Enlai was a classmate, and at Tsinghua University...
is an important figure in China's modern history and was a governor of Taiwan province
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
. He himself who? has also made a great contribution to the development of China’s optical communication industry. He who? became one of the first batch of specially hired experts of the Chinese State Council
State Council of the People's Republic of China
The State Council of the People's Republic of China , which is largely synonymous with the Central People's Government after 1954, is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the Premier and includes the heads of each governmental department and agency...
, participating in major state science and technology decision-making. He who? has also introduced lots of world-class experts to lecture in China, bringing to the country the state-of-art technology in optical communication. Thanks to his effort, the research and application of optical communication in China has made a great progress in the recent 20 years. He who? was named an honorary professor at many universities in China (including Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
, Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University or SJTU), sometimes referred to as Shanghai Jiaotong University , is a top public research university located in Shanghai, China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University is known as one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China...
, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications
Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications
The Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications was founded as The Beijing Institute of Posts and Telecommunications in 1955. It was created under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and the Communications Department of the General Staff Department of the People's Liberation Army...
, Northern Jiaotong University, Fudan University
Fudan University
Fudan University , located in Shanghai, is one of the oldest and most selective universities in China, and is a member of the C9 League. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty...
, Nankai University
Nankai University
Nankai University , commonly known as Nankai, is a public research university based in Tianjin on mainland China. Founded in 1919 by educators Zhang Boling and Yan Fansun , Nankai University is a member of the Nankai serial schools. It is the alma mater of former Chinese Premier and key historical...
, Tianjin University
Tianjin University
Tianjin University is a national university under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education of China. It is the first university in modern Chinese education history. It was part of Peiyang University in 1895...
, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
-Academic schools:Built on the MIT model and as a member of "Project 985", UESTC is an electronics-centred multidisciplinary leading research university located in Chengdu China, currently enrolling over 10,000 research students and about 14,000 undergraduates in 14 academic Schools:*School of...
, and Qufu Normal University), and was granted an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree by National Chiao Tung University
National Chiao Tung University
National Chiao Tung University is a public university located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious and selective universities in Taiwan and is renowned for its research and teaching excellence in electrical engineering, computer science, engineering, management, and...
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Philosophy
Li has said that developing components and devices must involve good understanding of systems applications and systems economics. This methodology was reflected in his introduction of optical amplifiers in WDM which offered network providers a graceful upgrade. Li has also mentored many younger colleagues, and is known to many as "Uncle Tingye."Personal
Li's speeches, even on some dull technical topics, are known to be quite entertaining. One example was at the ITCom 2001 conference, where he gave a talk titled "Crouching Technologies and Hidden Profits", a play on the Chinese film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden DragonCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a 2000 wuxia film. An American-Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwanese co-production, the film was directed by Ang Lee and featured an international cast of ethnic Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, and Chang Chen...
".
Dr. Tingye Li lives with his wife Edith Wu in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. He is an independent consultant in the field of lightwave communications. His brother Ting-Kai Li is a prominent medical scientist and is the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism , as part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, supports and conducts biomedical and behavioral research on the causes, consequences, treatment, and prevention of alcoholism and alcohol-related problems...
(NIAAA). His brother-in-law is Sherman Wu
Sherman Wu
Sherman Hsiu-huang Wu was a Chinese American social activist and a former professor, whose experiences at Northwestern University brought the issue of discrimination against Asian Americans to the fore. The general condemnation of the prejudice exhibited against him presaged later actions in the...
, well-known for his struggles against racism at Northwestern University.
Quotation
- "Photonics is a 40-year overnight success."
- "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"
- Tingye Li at OFC
Optical Fiber Conference
The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition is the premier international event for both the science and business of optical communications, with a comprehensive technical program and the largest all-optical business exhibition....
'02, adapted from "Ode to the West Wind
Ode to the West Wind
Ode to the West Wind is an ode written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1819 near Florence, Italy. It was published in 1820 by Charles and James Ollier in London as part of the Prometheus Unbound, A Lyrical Drama in Four Acts, With Other Poems collection...
", by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poets and is critically regarded as among the finest lyric poets in the English language. Shelley was famous for his association with John Keats and Lord Byron...
- "I only hire people smarter than I."
Awards and honors
- IEEE W.R.G. Baker Prize Paper Award - 1975 (together with Stewart E. MillerStewart E. MillerStewart E. Miller was a noted American pioneer in microwave and optical communications.Miller was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, attended high school in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and three years at the University of Wisconsin–Madison before transferring to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,...
and Enrique A. J. Marcatili) - Achievement Awards from the Chinese Institute of Engineers/USA - 1978
- IEEE David Sarnoff Award - 1979
- member of the National Academy of EngineeringNational Academy of EngineeringThe National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
- 1980 - Alumni Merit Award from Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
- 1981 - Achievement Awards from the Chinese American and Professional Association -1983
- member of the Academia SinicaAcademia SinicaThe Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
- 1994 - OSAOptical Society of AmericaThe Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
/IEEE-LEOS John Tyndall AwardJohn Tyndall AwardThe John Tyndall Award is given to the "individual who has made pioneering, highly significant, or continuing technical or leadership contributions to fiber optics technology"...
- 1995 - member of the Chinese Academy of EngineeringChinese Academy of EngineeringThe Chinese Academy of Engineering is the national academy of the People's Republic of China for engineering. It was established in 1994 and is an institution of the State Council of China...
- 1996 - OSAOptical Society of AmericaThe Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
Frederic Ives Medal - 1997 - AT&TAT&TAT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
Science and Technology Medal - 1997 - Achievement Awards from the Photonics Society of Chinese-Americans - 1998
- IEEE Photonics AwardIEEE Photonics AwardThe IEEE Photonics Award is a Technical Field Award established by the IEEE Board of Directors in 2002. This award is presented for outstanding achievements in photonics.This award may be presented to an individual or a team of up to three people....
- 2004 - IEEE Edison Medal - 2009
Books
- Optical Fiber Communications: Fiber Fabrication, Tingye Li, 1985
- Topics in Lightwave Transmission Systems, Tingye Li, 1991
- Optical Fiber Telecommunications IV-A : Components, Ivan P. Kaminow and Tingye Li, 2002
- Optical Fiber Telecommunications IV-B : Systems and Impairments, Ivan P. Kaminow and Tingye Li, 2002
External links
See also
- Optical Society of America#Past Presidents of the OSA