Optica mourns the passing of these distinguished colleagues.
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Anthony J. DeMaria, 1981 Optica President and Fellow, passed away on 26 January 2025 at the age of 93. DeMaria was known for his outstanding contributions to the field of optics and quantum electronics, particularly the first demonstration of optical picosecond pulses using mode-locked lasers and pioneering contributions to the application of lasers in industry and scientific research. His
Friday, November 1, 2024
William B. Bridges, 1988 Optica President and Fellow, passed away on 1 November 2024 at the age of 89. He was the Carl F. Braun Professor of Engineering, Emeritus, at Caltech, USA. Bridges was known for his discovery of the noble gas ion laser in 1964 and his pioneering projects in the fields of reconnaissance systems, space communications systems, and hydrogen maser clocks for global
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Wilson Sibbett, Optica Fellow and recipient of the Charles Hard Townes Medal, has passed away at the age of 76. He was known for his work on ultrashort pulse laser science and technology. Sibbett's work on streak cameras was the first to demonstrate the technique of subpicosecond chronoscropy, achieved by synchronouse scanning of streak cameras such that they function as oscilloscopes.
Monday, September 2, 2024
H. Jeff Kimble, Optica Fellow and pioneer in quantum optics and quantum information science, passed away on 2 September 2024. He was the William L. Valentine Professor of Physics, Emeritus, at Caltech, USA. Kimble's career comprised a veritable parade of foundational discoveries and observations in quantum optics. The discoveries include photon antibunching, generation of squeezed states of
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Dr. Anand Gopinath, Optica Fellow and a pioneer in the modeling of microwave strip lines, integrated optical devices, and signal processing for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), passed away on 14 August 2024. He is remembered for his significant contributions to the microwave, optics, and MRI communities, his dedication to teaching, and his generosity of spirit.Anand was born on 6 August 1936 in
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Optica Fellow Robert Lee Armstrong has passed away. He was best known for his research in optics, lasers and masers, radiofrequency wave propagation, carbon dioxide, absorption spectra, infrared spectra, and pressure effects.From 1978 to 1981, Armstrong conducted research in the Physics Department of New Mexico State University on a High Resolution Atmospheric Transmittance Study funded by a grant
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Murty V. Mantravadi, Optica Fellow and educator, passed away on 24 April 2024 at the age of 94. He was most known for his research in optical testing, interferometry, diffraction, spectrometers, and optical devices. Most notably, he originated the shear plate testing method that would check for light wave distortion and make parallel or align the light rays of a laser beam.Mantravadi was born in
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Bruce Wessels, Optica Fellow, Senior Member and Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University, passed away on 7 April 2024 at the age of 77. He was best known for his work studying thin films and nanostructures for electronic, magnetic, and photonic materials applications.Wessels grew up in Glen Cove, New York, and graduated from Glen Cove High School in 1964. Early on, he became interested in
Joseph Izatt, Optica Fellow, Edwin H. Land Medal recipient, and long-time Optica volunteer, passed away on 7 April 2024. Izatt was the Michael J. Fitzpatrick Professor of Engineering and chair of Duke’s Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME), Duke University, USA. Izatt was a volunteer leader who helped shape and strengthen Optica’s conferences, publications, and overall
Monday, March 25, 2024
Richard R. Freeman, Optica Fellow and volunteer, passed away on 25 March 2024 at the age of 79. He was best known for his work on ultrafast VUV sources and lasers, lithography, and the “Freeman resonance” of ultrafast laser physics.Freeman was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, but grew up in Seattle, Washington, where he attended the University of Washington. He graduated Summa Cum Laude
