• PHOTONICS RESEARCH CENTRE
  • prcum@um.edu.my
  • +603-79676770
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PHOTONICS RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITI MALAYA (PRCUM)

PRCUM was established in the year 1979 as Laser Laboratory by Prof. Tan Beng Cheok. In conducting laser research, the laboratory employs multiple lasers and associated optical systems.

 MALAYSIA'S FIRST LASER LABORATORY 
Lasers available are Ruby lasers, Nd:YAG lasers, Ti:Sapphire lasers, diode lasers as well as liquid dye and polymer based dye lasers. In addition to these, considerable efforts are spent in the development of gas lasers such as CO2, N2 and excimer lasers. Most of these lasers were developed in house, with the collaboration of students supervised by Low Kum Sang and Harith Ahmad, the two lead researchers at that time.


 CHRONOLOGY OF PRCUM
  • 1979 - Laser Laboratory, University of Malaya.
  • 1985 - Complete laser research laboratory.
  • 1995 - Fibre optic based laser research. Published in over 250 journals Over 200 conference proceedings.
  • 1996 - Collaboration with Telecom Malaysia, TM UM laboratory.
  • 2007 - Establishments of Photonics Research Centre (PRC).
  • 2009 - Shortlisted for Higher Education Centre of Excellence (HiCoE) by MOHE.
  • 2011 - Potential HiCoE.
  • 2014 - Awarded as HiCoE by MOHE.
  • 2026 - Officially Graduated as HiCoE by MOHE
 TOWARDS PHOTONICS RESEARCH 

Prof. Harith Ahmad succeeded Prof. Tan in leading the laboratory since 1987 to present. The laboratory was re-branded into Photonics Research Centre, University of Malaya (PRCUM) in 2007, and is recognised as one of the potential High Centre of Excellence (HiCoE) in 2011 by the Ministry of Higher Education. PRCUM has been actively involved in the research of optical passive and active waveguides, namely Erbium-doped optical amplifier and laser, nonlinear wavelength conversion, fibre Bragg gratings (FBG), fabrication of planar light wave circuits, etc.

To date, more than 1000 research papers have been published in international journals. Facilities in PRCUM include optical fibre test and measurement systems, optical planar waveguide fabrication facility, FBG fabrication facility, micro-fibre workstation, femtosecond laser oscillators as well as laser direct writing system for polymer waveguide fabrication.


 VIDEOS 

PECIPTA 2022 - DATUK PROF. ULUNG DR. HARITH AHMAD


Malaysia Technology Exhibition 2023 - Distinguished Prof. Datuk Dr. Harith Ahmad


UMT - KEYNOTE PROF DATUK DR HARITH AHMAD, UMTAS 2016


Dr. Harith Ahmad dinobatkan Profesor Ulung Negara 2014


MAJLIS PENGANUGERAHAN PROFESOR ULUNG : PROF DR HARITH AHMAD





Last Update: 16/02/2026