Winnie Ye
Carleton University, CanadaFor exemplary volunteer leadership and outstanding contributions to silicon photonics research and technology including pioneering investigations in waveguide stress engineering.
Winnie Ye describes a great scientist as a person with a deep passion for discovery and innovation. She envisions someone who moves beyond becoming knowledgeable about a certain topic to using their creativity to find new solutions to problems. A great scientist perseveres through challenges and strives to make a positive impact on the world with their work. Winne, in fact, embodies many of these characteristics in her work. For example, her favorite part of the research process is exploring and discovering the unknown. She comments, “Every research activity brings the possibility of uncovering something new and exciting.”
Winnie is also no stranger to challenges and working hard to overcome obstacles. One particularly difficult challenge was returning to work after her maternity leave. Many women face this work interruption, but few must essentially start from scratch upon their return. Winnie had to recruit new students while also ensuring the continuity of existing research. To accomplish this, Winnie utilized her professional network to help identify qualified candidates to join her group. Then, she focused her efforts on training, mentoring, and supporting the new group members, ensuring they felt welcome and able to contribute. This proved wonderfully effective, and today, she leads a flourishing group at Carleton University, Canada.
Through this challenge and others, Winnie had the support of numerous mentors and found inspiration in their passion for research. They instilled in her the importance of interdisciplinary work and collaboration across research areas to make the biggest possible impact. The interdisciplinary collaborations have significantly advanced her research, allowing her to tackle complex problems and achieve breakthroughs that would not have been possible in isolation. Another critical piece of advice she received was, “Embrace failure as part of the journey.” Instead of viewing failures as roadblocks, Winnie sees them as opportunities for learning and growth. She passes this wisdom along to her students today, encouraging them to ask questions and seek help when they need it, adding, “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”. She also highlights the importance of perseverance and creativity in overcoming research challenges, which has been crucial in her journey.
Winnie specializes in the area of silicon integrated optics with metamaterials engineering. She has made significant contributions in silicon photonics for telecommunication and datacom. Currently, she is most excited about applying silicon metamaterials to optical memory and programmable optics, two technologies that “hold the potential to revolutionize data storage, communication networks, and computing systems.” Optical memory offers high-speed data storage and retrieval, scalability, and low power consumption. With the growing use of energy for data storage, this could be a major development in the coming years. Programmable optics enable dynamic reconfiguration and versatility for designing complex optical functions. She predicts, “Research like mine will unlock the next level of connectivity, bringing us closer together. We will live in an environment where technology works for us in ways we have never imagined.”
Optica has played an essential role in Winnie’s career. She learned early on the importance of participating in a scientific society to grow her network and continue her learning. Today, she is involved in several Optica committees and frequently publishes her work in Optica’s journals. She comments, “Engaging with Optica has allowed me to connect with peers and experts, stay updated on advancements, and contribute meaningfully to the scientific community.” She actively volunteers within Optica, organizing networking events and contributing to various committees, which has further strengthened her presence in the scientific community.
Photo Credit: Winnie Ye
Profile written by Samantha Hornback
