Robert S. Hilbert Memorial Optical Design Competition Rules

Competition Rules

The Synopsys Optical Solutions Group invites you to participate in its Optical Design Competition, which recognizes excellence in optical design projects completed by students. Students can enter an optical design class assignment or thesis work. Awards totalling $10,000 are granted. To be eligible, you must be currently enrolled in a post-secondary degree program in North America, working toward a bachelor's, master's, or Ph.D. Your work must have been completed using CODE V, LightTools, LucidShape, RSoft Photonic Device Tools, Photonic System Tools, or the PIC Design Suite software, and demonstrate knowledge of optics, optical engineering, and optical design software. All entries completed and turned in to your professor during the current school year are eligible.

Please note that past winners are not eligible.

Due Date

Entries should be received by the end of the day on June 15, 2021.

Entry Form

Download a PDF version of our entry form that can be viewed, filled in, and printed using Acrobat Reader. If you don't have a copy of Acrobat Reader, go to the Adobe Web site, where you can download it for free.

Submission Requirements

Project/Paper may be submitted "as is". No special format is required.
For project reports that exceed 10 pages in length, please submit a short synopsis of your project of no more than 10 pages. Any figures included in the synopsis should be identical to those in the original project report.
Project/Paper is to be submitted electronically. Please email your entry form, paper, and supporting files to: hilbert_competition@synopsys.com. You will receive an email acknowledgement once your entry is received.
Professor signature required (there is designated space on the entry form). Or, an email from your professor confirming your student status can be sent to hilbert_competition@synopsys.com.
Additional CODE V, LightTools, LucidShape, RSoft Photonic Device Tools, Photonic System Tools, and/or PIC Design Suite output and explanations of how our software was used in the project/paper is required if not part of the original paper. This additional information is optional if the software use is already explained in the paper.
If submission file sizes are larger than 10 MB, please e-mail us at hilbert_competition@synopsys.com for instructions on uploading your large files. E-mails with large file attachments may not transmit successfully through e-mail.

Criteria for Judging

Relative to student's degree and course work
Level of CODE V, LightTools, LucidShape, RSoft Photonic Device Tools, Photonic System Tools, and/or PIC Design Suite software use in paper/project
How well paper/project conforms to course/project assignment definition
Innovative use of our software

Disclaimer

The competition is limited to students attending North American Universities and Colleges.
Past winners of this competition are not eligible.
Decision of judges is final.
Papers will not be returned or critiqued.
Synopsys has the right to publish the winner's name, university, and CODE V, LightTools, LucidShape, RSoft Photonic Device Tools, Photonic System Tools, and/or PIC Design Suite images from winning papers for promotional purposes.
Synopsys also has the right to use CODE V, LightTools, LucidShape, RSoft Photonic Device Tools, Photonic System Tools, and/or PIC Design Suite models submitted by students for training or promotional purposes.

Back to the main Student Optical Design Competition page