Joints of light: Princetel powers fiber-optic applications into the future
For Barry Zhang, founder and CEO of Princetel, trusting his gut and leading with confidence has served him well through tumultuous times in his career. Princetel, established in 2000, originally focused on telecom fiber optics, but was impacted by the telecom sector bubble burst and collapse. Despite market dynamics, Zhang was determined not to give up on the potential of fiber optics and pivoted from pure telecom to broader industry applications, which set the stage for the company’s evolution.
Today, Princetel focuses on developing high-performance fiber-optic rotary joints for the military, biomedical, environmental, and broadcasting industries. Although fiber-optic technology application is still in a nascent stage, and while many companies are unfamiliar and uncomfortable with fiber innovations such as the rotary joints, they are becoming essential products. Zhang says there is no better alternative to fiber optics as the demand to transmit substantial amounts of data climbs. He predicts fiber will be the only solution to meet these needs, and this is the instinct that drives the company.
A laser focus from the beginning
This passion for optics began in childhood: Zhang recalls being interested in light from an early age. He wanted to learn about everything related to optics, the spectrum, light, and color. He credits this interest to one of the first books he read his father bought him back in the '70s. The book, written in Chinese and entitled Lasers, enthralled Zhang because a laser could drill a hole in metal.
His light-based interest never waned, so it was no surprise that Zhang first studied physics at Tsinghua University in Beijing, and then pursued his Ph.D. from Princeton University in mechanical and aerospace engineering—with a research focus in spectroscopy. Receiving his doctorate in 1994 when the telecom market was hot, he jumped right into the realm of fiber optics, and explored ways to more effectively and efficiently transmit data through fibers for communications.
Hands-on entrepreneur at heart
After receiving his doctorate, Zhang pursued his technical interests in fiber optics and launched a small but successful company, which was quickly snatched up by what was then ADC Telecommunications. With the acquisition in place, he joined the ADC team for a time but knew it wouldn’t be long before he was back in the entrepreneurial driver’s seat.
And just a few years later, Zhang launched Princetel. As he built the company, he never let anyone’s opinions or advice, however well intentioned, dissuade him from what he believed was possible and important—even after the telecom bubble burst and put fiber-optic technologies into jeopardy. His industrial spirit shone bright, and he relied on his own judgement to innovate in a way he trusted would succeed: a line of rugged fiber-optic rotary joints.
His vision and confidence have served Zhang well. Princetel now has more than a dozen models and three dozen channels in one device. They are built to move into applications in markets as diverse as military, biomedical, wind energy, geophysical, broadcasting, robotic, mining, machinery, entertainment, and communications. Serving a wide berth of clients, Princetel provides solutions for submarines, helicopters, robotic vehicles, wind turbines, medical optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems, satellite antennae, and high-definition broadcasting systems. The company also offers slip rings, cable reels, and polishing machines to complement their rotary joints to meet customers’ needs for end-to-end fiber products.
To this day, after nearly 24 years in business, Zhang’s focus on product integrity sits at the core of Princetel. Instead of outsourcing the testing of specialized products to a third party, the company has its own in-house qualifications lab. He says that not only are few companies capable of running the highly qualified tests they need but it is better to conduct them in-house, so you know it is done correctly—and where any opportunities for improvement may lie. Princetel’s lab takes the lead, managing the temperature, humidity, vibration shock, elevation simulation, and pressure testing needed for their specialized, rugged devices.
A moral compass
Beyond providing superior products, Zhang ensures Princetel maintains a deep focus on doing good for the world. Princetel’s headquarters and manufacturing facility were the first environmentally friendly LEED Platinum industrial buildings in New Jersey. He strove to set an example of how to be self-sustainable and have as little impact on the environment as possible. Their building even has rainwater harvesting, solar panels, energy-efficient materials, a permeable parking lot, native plants, and more.
Zhang also lives by the old adage: “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” At Princetel, he’s cultivated a culture of respect and trust among employees, customers, and vendors alike. This philosophy results in low staff turnover and each employee takes pride in their work, which he believes helps the company continue to witness strong sales growth internationally.
What the future holds
Princetel currently offers 36 channels in one device, but Zhang is convinced it is only a matter of time before more is required from the market. The company is already advancing plans to introduce 50 channels, with sights on reaching 100.
While fiber optics need to lay in the center of a device today, Zhang sees the potential in being able to shift that orientation. With his vision, the Princetel team already has a patent and is working on permutations that enable a shift in orientation, which opens up the center and creates the space for an alternate core (think: helicopter rotary shaft).
Advice to the next generation
As he looks to the future, Zhang has advice for the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators: First, from his own experience, it pays to never stop being curious and learning. He believes that in this dynamic environment, if you do you will fall behind. Second, he emphasizes the need for critical thinking and staying true to instinct. You cannot blindly trust what you hear, but must be confident enough to trust your own beliefs. Third, and he admits this is the most controversial, think twice before partnering when it comes to ownership of a company. When a person partners with a colleague in business, the potential exists for it to ruin a relationship or create unnecessary conflict and stress. Instead, he champions having a mentor, sounding board, or seasoned advisor to serve as a friend and guide. Finally, he says you must have a vision for what lies ahead—a long-term plan and not to stop at what the company can do today, but think five or 10 years ahead so you can carve a path to success.
Where does Zhang see Princetel heading? While he admits there is no way to predict the future, he believes common sense always prevails. Fiber optics, despite any nascent stage or sales cycle, has no replacement in terms of the bandwidth it offers, and there will undoubtedly be a need for fiber-optic technology and new corresponding applications. He recognizes the future is anyone’s guess, but there’s certainty in his unwavering trust of fiber optics and his instinct will continue to propel the company toward remarkable things.
Jose Pozo | Chief Technology Officer, Optica
Jose Pozo joined Optica in March 2022, and has spent more than 25 years working in photonics. He earned a PhD in quantum physics from the University of Bristol (U.K.), and an M.Sc. and B.Eng. in telecom engineering from UPNA, Spain / VUB (Belgium). Prior to joining the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) in 2015 as CTO, Jose was a Senior Photonics Technology Consultant with PNO Consultants, with some of the main accounts such as CERN, Thales, and TE Connectivity. He has worked at TNO, The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, and as a postdoctoral researcher at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, where he contributed to the early development of EFFECT Photonics.