Two early-career researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) convinced the expert reviewers of the Carl Zeiss Foundation with their projects. They now have five years to establish their research groups at KIT through the “CZS Nexus” funding program. Each researcher will receive approximately 1.5 million euros. Boris Karanov is developing new algorithms for digital signal processing in optical communication systems, while Frank Rhein is investigating how the CO2 emissions produced by cryptocurrency mining can be reduced by means of physical processes.
“We are very excited about the success of Boris Karanov and Frank Rhein,” says Professor Oliver Kraft, KIT’s Vice President Academic Affairs. “The fact that both young scientists managed to acquire funds from the Carl Zeiss Foundation highlights the quality and topicality of their research.”
Optimization of Digital Signal Processing in Optical Networks
Over 95% of the global data is transferred via optical networks, with demands on speed and data exchange growing rapidly. However, the rising data volume leads to nonlinear effects that affect signal quality. To reduce these interferences, two approaches exist: Classic algorithms are based on mathematical models, which are particularly suitable for linear systems, while advanced methods, in contrast, utilize machine learning, especially neural networks that analyze system behavior directly from the data. These methods can model nonlinear phenomena, but require high computing power.
Dr. Boris Karanov from the Communications Engineering Lab aims to combine both methods to understand nonlinear relationships while benefiting from existing knowledge about optical systems. Karanov will conduct comprehensive lab experiments to validate the new algorithms. “With our research, we want to ensure that optical communication systems maintain their performance even with increasing traffic,” says Karanov. “Our approach can help to transmit significantly more data in shorter time and over greater distances – with less power consumption.”
Reduction of CO2 Emissions in Connection with Cryptocurrencies
Most cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain technology, a kind of decentralized ledger. With Bitcoin, blockchain security is guaranteed by the “proof-of-work” consensus mechanism: Powerful networked computers compete to solve complex mathematical problems. The first one to solve a problem may add a new block to the blockchain and is rewarded with Bitcoins. The blockchain is trustworthy, as manipulating it would require an unachievable amount of work and computing power. However, this security comes at the price of massive CO2 emissions.
The goal of Dr. Frank Rhein’s research project is to transfer this principle to the physical world and reduce CO2 emissions by developing a “proof of physical work.” For this purpose, he is developing physical one-way functions, which are easily executable but do not allow any conclusions to be drawn about their input. An example of this is creating pigment structures by printing color pigments on top of each other, which generates unique patterns. Subsequent optical analysis yields an unambiguous result, and verification is only possible if the same process and identical materials are used. “A blockchain protocol based on this principle uses expensive physical resources or time instead of cheap electricity,” Rhein explains. “High costs limit profitability, thus reducing CO2 emissions.”
The CZS Nexus Funding Program of the Carl Zeiss Foundation
The Carl Zeiss Foundation funds research and teaching in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The CZS Nexus funding program supports outstanding young scientists who wish to implement exciting ideas at the interfaces between the different STEM fields. They have the opportunity to establish their own interdisciplinary research groups and are thus supported on their path to an academic career. The funding amounts up to 1.5 million euros per junior research group over a period of five or six years.
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