AIMS Sénégal 2015
Use of Photon Orbital Angular Momentum in Communication
Ms Oladele Temitope Mary, from Nigeria, graduated from AIMS Sénégal in 2015. In 2014, she obtained a degree in Pure and Applied Physics at the prestigious Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo State, Nigeria. She successfully combined her studies with work and other commitments like managing the finance of a Christian Organisation, running a restaurant, and acquiring entrepreneurial skills, showing herself to be self-motivated, capable of working under pressure, and successfully meeting school and business deadlines. In other to satisfy her curiosity, she went to do her undergraduate industrial training in the engineering workshop of a Broadcasting station. There, she got the practical understanding of how information is carried over long distances and how they were being projected on a television.
After her undergraduate degree, a colleague told her about the AIMS scholarship application. She decided to give it a try and prayed for a miracle. “Indeed, it happened, AIMS found me!”
“Every day at AIMS Sénégal held defining moments for me: the lectures and the discussions on how to apply mathematics in solving complex economic challenges; the daily five minute tests and problem solving sessions every Friday; the business and entrepreneurial talks; the “Aha” moments; the tears and big smiles on our faces during the intensive and interesting thesis phase.”
As a young researcher in the field of Telecommunications with increasing interest in Photovoltaics, she did her Master’s thesis on “The Use of Photon Orbital Angular Momentum in Communication”, a study on how the orbital angular momentum (OAM) property of an electromagnetic (EM) field can be multiplexed with the independent spin angular momentum (SAM) property of the EM field in other to increase the channel capacity of information-carrying beams of light along a single transmission channel. She also recently completed an initiation to research phase with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientique, France, on “The Effects of Stiffener’s nature in the Production of Ultra-thin Silicon Substrate for Advanced Photovoltaics”. She has been proposed a PhD thesis on “Graphene Doping and Characterization”, basing this research on the study of the many extraordinary compositions and properties of graphene to further improve the existing technology in photovoltaics (which could be an alternative means to power and electricity generation in Africa), and for flexible telecommunication devices through groundbreaking innovations.
She is passionate about imparting significant knowledge by giving back into the society through teaching. Presently, she teaches physics in a Community Secondary School with the strategy of reviving the passion for studying Physical and Applied Sciences among the students. She believes the passion being created in these young minds will be a step closer to finding the next Einstein in Africa.