2023 Adolph Lomb Medal Winner

Get Involved

Optica Names William Renninger the 2023 Adolph Lomb Medal Recipient

Optica (formerly OSA), Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is pleased to announce that William Renninger, University of Rochester, USA, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Adolph Lomb Medal. Renninger is recognized for pioneering contributions to opto-mechanics, ultrashort pulse generation, novel fiber lasers, and multimode nonlinear optics.

Renninger received his B.S and Ph.D. degrees in applied physics from Cornell University, USA. He is currently on the faculty of the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester, USA. Previously, he was a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Applied Physics at Yale University, USA.

His research has focused on light-matter interactions and associated applications. In the area of ultrafast nonlinear optics, he has studied mode-locking and soliton formation in fibers, laser cavities, and Kerr resonators for applications including biomedical imaging. He has also developed new coherent interactions between photons and phonons for sensing, quantum computing, and RF-photonic signal-processing applications. Current areas of interest in his group include ultrafast nonlinear optics, photon-phonon interactions, and optical computing.

Established in 1940, the Lomb Medal is presented to an individual who has made a noteworthy contribution to optics at an early career stage. Contributions from any area of optics, fundamental or applied, are considered. The medal honors Adolph Lomb, the Society’s first treasurer, for his devotion to the Society and the advancement of optics.

About Optica

Optica (formerly OSA), Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light. Optica's renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement. Discover more at: Optica.org