Georgia Tech and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the French national scientific research center, announced plans to establish a Franco-American center dedicated to telecommunications and nanotechnology research.

The partnership is between CNRS and Georgia Tech — not just Georgia Tech Lorraine — and four French academic partners — the Universite de Metz, the Universite de Franche Comte and French engineering schools, ENSAM and SUPELEC.

"The center is an extension of a former high-speed optical communications research unit that opened in 1998," said Steve McLaughlin, deputy director of Georgia Tech Lorraine and Ken Byers professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. "The new center will expand on the work of the old in several different dimensions, especially the exploration of secure networks and advanced or 'smart materials.'

"The secure network research focuses on the use of quantum cryptography to guarantee secure communications by encoding information on the actual photons sent between users. Any attempt to intercept the photons sounds an alarm ensuring a high degree of security.

"The advanced materials area will conduct research on optics, electronics and electromechanics to develop industrial applications ranging from optoelectronics to the steel and auto industry," McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said the shared facilities might help increase the flow of scientists between the United States and France as they expand into new research areas in computer science.

Based in Metz, the center will be managed by Abdallah Ougazzaden, a professor at Georgia Tech Lorraine since 2005.

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