Robert W. Boyd was born in Buffalo, New York. He received his BS degree in physics from MIT and his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. His thesis was supervised by Charles Townes and involves the use of nonlinear optical methods in astronomy. Professor Boyd joined the faculty of the University of Rochester in 1977. In 2010 he became Professor of Physics and Canada Excellence Research Chair in Quantum Nonlinear Optics at the University of Ottawa, while retaining his ties with the University of Rochester.

Professor Boyd’s research includes basic studies of nonlinear optical physics and studies of optical methods for quantum information science. Specific research topics include studies of “slow” and “fast” light propagation, quantum imaging techniques, nanooptics and plasmonics, nanofabrication of photonic devices such as chip-scale spectrometers, nonlinear optical interactions, and studies of the nonlinear optical properties of materials.

Boyd is a Fellow of OSA, and, in 2016, he received the Charles Hard Townes Medal “for fundamental contributions to the field of nonlinear optics, including the development of methods for controlling the velocity of light, of quantum imaging methods, and of composite nonlinear optical materials.”