Greg Olsen of Sensors Unlimited Receives Aron Kressel LEOS Award

Source: Sensors Unlimited

Respected Scientist Recognized for Contributions to Development and Commercialization of InGaAs Detectors

Princeton, NJ. Greg Olsen, founder and president of Sensors Unlimited, Inc., will receive the Aron Kressel LEOS award at LEOS 2000, the annual meeting of the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society, to be held on November 13-16 in Puerto Rico.

The Aron Kressel award will be presented to Olsen for his unique and visionary work in progressing the use of indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) detectors for viable and pragmatic purposes, most notably in the telecommunications industry. Olsen s illustrious career has been marked by leadership, market vision and distinguished scientific accomplishments.

One of the commercial applications for InGaAs detectors is Sensors Unlimited s Optical Eyes(TM). These InGaAs photodiode arrays serve as the eyes within fiberoptic networks, enabling telecommunications companies to dramatically improve the network s capacity, performance and reliability. With its innovative technology, Sensors is positioned for industry leadership as the market demands faster, higher quality Internet service.

Gordon Day, President of the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society, will present the first Aron Kressel Award to Greg Olsen. In announcing the award, Day states: "We are pleased to present this award to Dr. Olsen in recognition of his pioneering contributions in the development and commercialization of InGaAs detectors for communications and sensing applications. The Kressel Award was endowed by Henry Kressel, in memory of his father, and is being presented for the first time this year. It is given to recognize those individuals who have made important contributions to optoelectronic device technology. The intent is to recognize key contributors to the field for developments of critical components which lead to the development of systems enabling major new services or capabilities."

"I am extremely proud that LEOS has recognized my contributions in the fiberoptics arena and I am honored to accept this award," states Greg Olsen, President and CEO of Sensors Unlimited, Inc. "This award really belongs to everyone on the R&D staff at Sensors, and further strengthens our resolve to develop cutting-edge fiberoptic technology solutions. In an exploding fiberoptics marketplace, the magnitude of the demand for Internet bandwidth enables Sensors to be a world leader. We have identified a unique technology that not only has significant market potential, but also represents the future of optoelectronics."

Several of Sensors research scientists will play a major role at the LEOS meeting. Dr. Cohen, a member of the LEOS 2000 Photodetector and Imaging Committee, will chair the session entitled `Detector Array Technology . According to Cohen: "The challenge faced by today s telecommunications companies is that to maintain a very high quality of service in the fiberoptic network, it is critically important that the power levels of the laser transmissions stay within acceptable bounds, that the lasers transmit at precise wavelengths and that the lasers not drift outside of their allocated bandwidths. If laser power levels decrease or frequencies drift, data will be lost, resulting in re-transmission or re-routing to other channels. The throughput and overall quality of service will decrease. Detector arrays such as the ones that Sensors fabricates at our facility, constantly measure power, frequencies and channel spacing, providing electronic feedback so that any discrepancies or failures can be found and fixed immediately."

Dr. Alan Sugg, vice president of engineering, Sensors Unlimited, will present `Photodiode Array Spectroscopy for Wavelength Division Multiplexing , which discusses the use of InGaAs/InP photodiode arrays as spectroscopic elements to monitor Wavelength Division Multiplexing systems. This Sensors Unlimited technology is the principal method for monitoring optical networks, which helps to ensure reliable, high-quality service.

Dr. Christopher Dries, research scientist, Sensors Unlimited, will demonstrate a 40 Gb/s, 4 Channel Optical Receiver Array. "The rapid deployment of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing systems is creating an ever-increasing demand for high-speed optical components," notes Dries. "Multi-channel optical receivers are certain to be an important part of next generation networks as channel counts increase and a premium is placed on optical rack space. Additionally, multi-channel receivers will become a necessity in central office or switch applications where tremendous amounts of data must be transferred over short distances."

Dr. Jacobus S.Vermaak, director, laser research and products, Sensors Unlimited, will present `High Power Linear Arrays of 1.9 um Laser Diodes , the result of research and development that Sensors performed in collaboration with Princeton University on a Phase II SBIR project granted to Sensors by the Air Force Research Laboratories. "These devices were originally developed to be intense light sources which can act as infrared countermeasures to `blind incoming missiles," explains Vermaak. "A potential commercial application includes using these devices as `pump laser sources."

About Sensors Unlimited: Sensors Unlimited, Inc. is a leading supplier of optical components that monitor the performance of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) systems. This technology is enabling telecommunications companies to optimize the use of existing bandwidth in their fiberoptic networks. Sensors Unlimited was acquired by Finisar Corporation (Nasdaq:FNSR) in October 2000 for $700 million. As a Finisar company, Sensors Unlimited is empowering next generation optical networks with its ability to design, fabricate and supply innovative products using indium gallium arsenide technology. For more information, visit the Company s web site at www.sensorsinc.com.

This press release includes certain "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involves risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Such statements are based upon, among other things, assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management, including management s own knowledge and assessment of Finisar Corporation s industry and competition.

Contact: Sensors Unlimited, Inc. Bob Struthers Tel: 609/520-0610 x227 golsen@sensorsinc.com or Total Marketing Concepts, Inc. Maureen Miller Tel: 732/747-5786 mmiller@totalmarketingconcepts.com