David Young

Dr. Young has extensive experience in the field of complex system development. He is an innovator in the field of optical communications. At JHU/APL he served as the system architect and Chief Engineer for multiple free space optical (FSO) communications programs, including the DARPA FOENEX program which demonstrated the first airborne hybrid optical/RF mesh network. Under Dr. Young’s technical leadership, the FSO programs generated nine IP disclosures with five issued US Patents. Over twenty-five papers were published in the refereed literature, including multiple invited papers.

Prior to joining JHU/APL Dr. Young worked in the advanced research of all optical fiber communications at Corvis Corporation where he was a pioneer in the development of fully wavelength agile systems. Prior to Corvis he was at Lucent Technologies developing fiber laser systems as well as novel specialty fibers including the fiber used on the International Space Station. Prior to Lucent he was with Litton Laser Systems, now a part of Northrop Grumman where he developed novel coherent laser radar systems, including being part of the team that developed the first coherent laser vibrometer used in space.

He holds a BS in Physics and MS and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Connecticut. He is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Education History

• B S, Physics, University of Connecticut
• M S, Electrical Engineering, University of Connecticut
• Ph D, Electrical Engineering, University of Connecticut

Work Experience

Principal Professional Staff, JHU Applied Physics Laboratory

Publications

D. W. Young, H. H. Hurt, J. E. Sluz, and J. C. Juarez, “Development and Demonstration of Laser Communications Systems,” Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Vol. 33, No. 2, (2015).

D. W. Young, H. H. Hurt, J. C. Juarez, J. E. Sluz, R. A. Venkat, R. Baker, N. Plasson, and C. Jensen J. Douglass, M. Northcott R. Ridgway, T. Martin, “Demonstration of a multi-aircraft airborne hybrid Lasercomm/RF mesh network,” Proc. Classified Military Communications Conference, (2013).

D. W. Young, H. H. Hurt, J. C. Juarez, J. E. Sluz, R. A. Venkat, R. Baker, J. Douglass, L. Thomas, R. Ridgway, T. Martin, L. Stotts, M. Northcott, N. Plasson, and C. Jensen, "Demonstration of a Hybrid Free-Space Optical/RF Airborne Network," Proc. MILCOM, (2012).

Z. C. Bagley, D. H. Hughes, J. C. Juarez, D. W. Young, P. Kolodzy, T. Martin, M. Northcott, H. A. Pike, N. D. Plasson, B. Stadler, and L.B. Stotts, "Hybrid Optical radio frequency airborne communications," Optical Engineering 51, 055006 (2012).

J. C. Juarez, D. W. Young, R. A. Venkat, D. M. Brown, A. M. Brown, R. L. Oberc, J. E. Sluz, H. A. Pike, and L. B. Stotts, "Analysis of link performance for the FOENEX laser communications system," Proc. SPIE 8380, (2012). [Invited Paper].

J. E. Sluz, J. C. Juarez, C-H. Bair, R. L. Oberc R. A. Venkat, D. Rollend, D. W. Young, "High-performance free-space optical modem hardware," Proc. SPIE 8380, (2012).

J. C. Juarez, J. E. Sluz, R. L. Oberc, and D. W. Young, "40-Gbps Modem Architecture for Free-Space Optical Communications," Proc. MILCOM, (2011).

L. B. Stotts, N. Plasson, T. W. Martin, D. W. Young, and J. C. Juarez, "Progress Towards Reliable Free-Space Optical Networks," Proc. MILCOM (2011)

J. C. Juarez, J. E. Sluz, and D. W. Young, "Optical Automatic Gain Controller for High-Bandwidth Free-Space Optical Communication Links," in Applications of Lasers for Sensing and Free Space Communications, Optical Society of America, paper LMA3 (2011).

J. L. Riggins II, J. E. Sluz, J. C. Juarez, and D. W. Young, "Customized Bit Error (cBERT) Tester for Characterizing Frequent Fade Communications Channels," in Applications of Lasers for Sensing and Free Space Communications, Optical Society of America, paper LTuB3 (2011).

J. C. Juarez, D. W. Young, J. E. Sluz, and L. B. Stotts, "High-sensitivity DPSK receiver for high-bandwidth free-space optical communication links," Optics Express, Vol. 19, pp 10789-10796 (2011).

J. C. Juarez, D. W. Young, J. E. Sluz, J. L. Riggins II, and D. H. Hughes, "Free-space optical channel propagation tests over a 147-km link," Proc. SPIE 8038, 8038B. 2011.

T. M. Fletcher, J. Cunningham, D. Baber, D. Wickholm, T. Goode, B. Gaughan, S. Burgan, A. Deck, D. W. Young, J. C. Juarez, J. E. Sluz, J. Cohen, P. Stallings, and B. K. Stadler, "Observations of atmospheric effects for FALCON laser communication system flight test," Proc. SPIE 8038, 80380F. 2011.

J.C. Juarez, J.E.Sluz, C. Nelson, M. B. Airola, D. W. Young, D. H. Terry, F. M. Davidson, R. M. Sova, “Free-space optical channel characterization in the maritime environment,” Invited Paper, SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7685, Atmospheric Propagation VII, 7 April 2010.

J. Sluz, J. Riggins, J. Juarez, C. Nelson, R. Sova, D. Young, “Characterization of data transmission through a maritime free-space optical channel with a custom bit error rate tester,” SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7700, Enabling Photonics Technologies for Defense, Security, and Aerospace Applications VI, 5 April 2010.

L.B. Stotts, B. Stadler, P. Kolodzy, A. Pike, T.G. Moore, D.W. Young, R. Smith, Z. Bagley, N. Plasson, B. Graves, D. Daugherty, J. Douglas, T. Martin, “Optical RF Communications Adjunct: Coming of Age,” Invited Paper, AVFOP 2009 Avionics, Fiber-Optics Technology Conference, Paper ThC1, 24 September 2009.

L.B. Stotts, B. Stadler, D. Hughes, P. Kolodzy, A. Pike, T.G. Moore, D.W. Young, J. Sluz, J. Juarez, B. Graves, D. Daugherty, J. Douglas, T. Martin, “Laser Communications Results Through a Turbulent Atmosphere,” Invited Paper, SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7464, Free-Space Laser Communications IX, 2 August 2009.

L.B. Stotts, L.C. Andrews, P.C. Cherry J.J. Foshee, P.K. Kolodzy, W.K. McIntire, R.L. Phillips, H.A. Pike, B. Stadler, D.W. Young; "Hybrid Optical RF Communications," Invited publication, Proc. Of the IEEE, Vol. 97, No. 6, Pg 1109 – 1128, June 2009.

S. Das, H. Henniger, B. Epple, C. Moore, W. Rabinovich, R. Sova, D. Young; “Requirements and Challenges for Tactical Free-Space Lasercomm,” MILCOM 2008, ACT-3.4, 18 November 2008.

L. Stotts, B. Stadler, B. Graves, J. Douglass, D. Young, J. Sluz, J. Juarez, P. Kolodzy, H.A. Pike, G. Lee, “Optical RF Communications Adjunct (ORCA),” Invited Paper, SPIE Proceedings

D. Young, J. Sluz, J. Juarez, M. Airola, R. Sova, H. Hurt, M. Northcott, J. Phillips, A. McClaren, D. Driver, D. Abelson, J. Foshee, “Demonstration of high data rate wavelength division multiplexed transmission over a 150km free space optical link”, MILCOM 2007, Advanced Communications Technologies 4.2, Directional Hybrid Optical/RF Networks. 2007.

D. Young, J. Juarez, R. Sova, J. Sluz, J. Phillips, D. Driver, A. McClarin, M. Northcott, J. Graves,“Multichannel High Data Rate Transmission between Ground and Airborne Platforms”, SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6457, Free Space Laser Communication Technologies XIX and Atmospheric Propagation of Electromagnetic Waves, 13 April 2007.

D. Young, J. Sluz, J. Juarez, M. Airola, R. Sova, H. Hurt, M. Northcott, J. Phillips, A. McClaren, D. Driver, D. Abelson, J. Foshee, “Demonstration of high data rate wavelength division multiplexed transmission over a 150km free space optical link”, SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6578, Defense Transformation and Net-Centric Systems, 2 May 2007.

J. Juarez, A. Dwivedi, R. Sova, J. Sluz, D. Young, “Field test of an air-to ground communications link using a bare optical fiber”, SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6546, Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems and Applications IV, 30 April 2007.

M. Northcott, A. McClaren, J. Graves, J. Phillips, D. Driver, D. Abelson, D. Young, J. Sluz, J. Juarez, M. Airola, R. Sova, H. Hurt, J. Foshee, “Long distance laser communications demonstration”, SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6578, Defense Transformation and Net-Centric Systems, 2 May 2007.

R. Sova, J. Sluz, D. Young, J. Juarez, A. Dwivedi, N. Demidovich, J. Graves, M. Northcott, J. Douglass, J. Phillips, D. Driver, A. McClarin, D. Abelson, “80 Gbps free-space optical communication demonstration between an aerostat and a ground terminal”, SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6304, 630414, 2006.

D. Young, C. Roychoudhuri, “Results and comparison of a cladding pumped fiber simulation using a decagon-shaped fiber," Optics Express, Vol. 11, Issue 7, 2003.

H. Fan, M. Tayahi, D.W. Young, N.K. Dutta, R. Webster, “Analogue and digital transmission using polymer optical fibre," Electronics Letters, Vol. 34, Issue 21, 1998.

P.J. Campanola, D.W. Young, A.E. Cowan, C. Roychoudhuri, L.M. Loew, “Applications of nonlinear optical microscopy," Cell Vision 4 191-192, 1997.

PATENTS

Patent no. 9,825,701 “Free Space Optics Communications”. 2017

Patent no. 8,897,657 “Apparatus and Method for Stabilizing Power to an Optical Multimode Receiver”. 2014

Patent no. 8,888,384 “Apparatus and Method for Increasing the Effective Capture Area in Optical Terminals”. 2014

Patent no. 8,774,635 “Fiber-Optic Automatic Gain Control Systems and Methods”. 2014

Patent no. 8,667,343 “High Speed Error Detector for Fading Propagation Channels”, 2014

Professional Organizations

IEEE