2023 Young Scholars, Venkat Arun, Ronit Sohanpal, and Zixian Wei

In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, the Marconi Society is proud to recognize three visionary researchers who are driving innovation in their respective fields, each with a unique focus on solving complex problems that have the potential to reshape our digital world. Venkat Arun, Ronit Sohanpal, and Zixian Wei are the 2023 Paul Baran Young Scholars awardees, recognized for their contributions to the fields of advanced communications and information technology, their leadership and commitment to digital equity.

Venkat Arun:  Transforming Networked Applications Through Performance Verification

Venkat Arun is challenging the status quo of networked applications. At a time when instantaneous responses are essential for applications like virtual reality and remote surgery, predicting and guaranteeing real-world performance is paramount.

“I seek to address this challenge by bridging the gap between practical systems and theoretical proofs of their performance. Current theoretical and empirical methods to analyze system performance are too optimistic because they use stochastic models that make strong assumptions about the real world,” indicated Arun. “I have proposed performance verification as an alternate strategy of using non-deterministic, but non-stochastic, models to strike the right balance between not assuming too much while still making practically meaningful guarantees. Most excitingly, we designed a tool that synthesized algorithms that incorporate new ideas that were automatically produced by a computer.”

Arun began working on congestion control as an undergraduate intern with 2023 Marconi Fellow, Hari Balakrishnan.  After about a year he went through a familiar problem that many of those who have worked in congestion control faced and he came to two conclusions. “First, in the real world, the delay experienced by packets varies in complex ways making it difficult to use as a signal of congestion. This was the basis on which I designed my algorithm, Copa,” Arun tells us. “Second, we never had a definition for what it means to “solve” congestion control. I came up with a precise mathematical definition that, if we manage to satisfy, will produce an effective algorithm. Later, I realized that the methods I developed to make congestion control precise were also applicable to other problems in computer systems. This led to my current research agenda of developing tools to understand performance in a more principled way. Performance verification is one such tool.”

As we forge ahead into an increasingly digital future, it’s essential to ensure that no one is left behind. “These tools will improve digital equity because today’s systems are evaluated on test beds that are often more reflective of well-resourced users. As a result, the performance for poorly resourced users is worse than it needs to be. A principled understanding of the system’s performance will enable us to design systems that perform well for a wider range of users,” Arun shares. “I see digital equity as a powerful driver toward broader social equity. Access to the digital world empowers people to enhance their quality of life and earning ability through better access to knowledge and resources. In the immediate future, I will focus on making access more affordable by making computer systems more efficient and performant.”

Ronit Sohanpal:  Revolutionizing Submarine Fiber Optic Cables with Optical Frequency Combs

Submarine optical cables are massive highways carrying over 99% of global data and posing challenges related to cost, size, and complexity. Ronit Sohanpal of University College London is on a mission to revolutionize this critical infrastructure by exploring the potential of optical frequency combs.

“My research investigates ways to generate and use alternative light sources, called optical frequency combs, to replace the large laser arrays used in wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) systems. A frequency comb is a laser source that outputs multiple equally spaced wavelengths simultaneously but requires only a single laser to generate,” said Sohanpal. “Using combs we can reduce the cost, size and power consumption of the optical transmitter to facilitate larger, more efficient WDM systems. A key part of my research is looking at how we can use novel materials and waveguides (like silicon core fiber) to generate nonlinear frequency combs with low noise and several hundreds of individual wavelengths that can be used in modern telecommunications networks.”

Sohanpal was drawn to this field because of the way in which fundamental optical fiber physics determines how we design and create optical networks, and therefore directly impacts millions of people’s daily lives. “There’s been a lot of interest in frequency combs for telecommunications applications in the last decade. The engineering community is also exploring combs in fiber-adjacent applications, like radio-frequency signal processing, wireless communications, and sensing,” Sohanpal tells us. “The best thing about working on optical sources is that you aren’t tied to a specific application, so there’s a very large scope of possible applications to explore. I think that’s very exciting!”

For Sohanpal, digital equity is not just a concept but a mission. His work in optical communications aims to bridge the digital divide and promote equal access to information and resources. “It is disheartening to know that so many young people across the world are limited by poor network infrastructure or computer access. As researchers in ICT, I believe we have a responsibility to ensure everyone can live in a world where the internet is safe, open, and accessible to all,” says Sohanpal.

Zixian Wei:  Charting a New Course for Optical Access Networks 

Zixian Wei’s research is dedicated to enhancing the capacity of next-generation optical access networks and photonics technologies for consumer electronics. “Since 2020, the research I have been involved in is to adopt coherent technology to further upgrade the capacity and performance of next-generation optical passive networks,” said Wei.  “At the time the pandemic began, I was thinking about my next five-year research plan at McGill. People started working from home and meeting each other online. We’ve retained some of that routine even post-pandemic. We know the technical concepts of virtual reality and even the metaverse will be particularly popular there. These various things led to a surge in data traffic on the access network side, which motivated me to make a contribution to this field.”

Much of Wei’s work will be used in real-world deployments to become commercial products that benefit many people. “My research has been conducted in cooperation with some information and telecommunications companies. My inspiration comes from industry but I also enjoy knowing that my technology will be widely available to a large number of people,” stated Wei.

Raised in a small town in southern China, Wei experienced firsthand the inequalities in educational resources caused by regional disparities and information gaps. His story has been shaped by the transformative power of digital technology, a realization that ignited his passion for “digital inclusion.” Wei shares, “I am a first-generation college student in my family. Thanks to the development of the Internet and information technology over the past two decades, a small number of people in this generation, including me, have been able to explore more possibilities in life.”

The Guiding Light of Mentorship

Mentorship plays a crucial role in their careers. Venkat thanks his advisors, Hari Balakrishnan and Mohammad Alizadeh. “They have had a deep impact on my research career. It is particularly heartening to be recognized in the same event as Hari.”

Ronit acknowledges his PhD supervisor, Dr. Zhixian Liu. “He always encourages me and the rest of his students to think big. His ambitious and energetic approach to research has taught me a lot about how to generate my own research momentum.”

Zixian recognizes his current supervisor, Prof. David V. Plant. “The past few years have been marked by the raging epidemic and economic downturn. He and the McGill community support me in freely thinking and exploring a range of academic and engineering issues related to optical communications.”

Together, these three brilliant minds are leaders in the fields of advanced communications and information technology. Their innovations will shape our future, creating a more digitally inclusive world where technology benefits everyone, regardless of their background or location. As the 2023 Paul Baran Young Scholars awardees, they represent a diverse group of young scientists and engineers who are making a profound impact on our interconnected world.

A Message to their Peers

In the unfolding narrative of these three Young Scholars, they share a message to their peers, colleagues, and the wider tech community:

Venkat encourages us with the words,  “Thinking of cool new ideas that expand human ability is fun! Let’s do it!”

Ronit reminds us of the essence of success, saying, “make sure you love what you do! Passion for your field is paramount, not only for achieving research success but also for making connections with other members of the scientific community.” 

Zixian advocates for “Technology for social good — The science and technology created by people will eventually return to people and society. We should always think about the next evolution from the perspective of globalization, humanities, and society.”

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

About the Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar Award

The Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar Award honors the world’s most innovative young engineers in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Presented to researchers who are 27 years old or younger to commemorate Guglielmo Marconi’s age when he made his first successful wireless transmission, this award recognizes scientists and engineers who have shown extraordinary technical acumen, creativity and promise for using ICT in service of digital inclusion.