Washington, DC--The Optical Society (OSA) has named the 2013 recipients of its annual awards and medals. The award winnersâhailing from eight different countriesâjoin an esteemed group of past recipients recognized for their commitment to optics, photonics, and biophotonics.
This yearâs award winners are as follows:
Frederic Ives Medal/Jarus Quinn Prize â Alain Aspect, Institut dâOptique, École Polytechnique, France; The National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France
The Frederic Ives Medal is the highest award conferred by OSA for overall distinction in optics. This award is being presented to Alain Aspect for carrying out pioneering research on photons and atoms, shedding light on the most intriguing quantum phenomena and prompting the development of the new field of quantum information.
Related: Alain Aspect garners Herbert Walther Award for 2012
Esther Hoffman Beller Medal â Vasudevan Lakshminarayanan, University of Waterloo, Canada
The Esther Hoffman Beller Medal recognizes outstanding contributions to optical science and engineering education. This year, Vasudevan Lakshminarayanan is being recognized for his outstanding contributions to optics education in international and interdisciplinary settings.
Max Born Award â Yaron Silberberg, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
The Max Born Award recognizes contributions to physical optics. Yaron Silberberg is being recognized for contributions in nonlinear and quantum optics, among them the first observation of optical discrete solitons, the prediction of spatio-temporal solitons and light bullets, pioneering experiments with temporal shaping of entangled photons and quantum control, and groundbreaking work in nonlinear microscopy.
Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award â Brian C. Wilson, University of Toronto, Canada
Established in 2012, the Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award recognizes individuals for their innovative and influential contributions to the field of biophotonics, regardless of their career stage. The inaugural award goes to Brian C. Wilson, who is being honored for sustained contributions to the field of biophotonics spanning more than 30 years and encompassing outstanding research, technology development, clinical translation, and training and education in the areas of light dosimetry, photodynamic therapy fluorescence and Raman endoscopy, microscopy, and nanophotonics.
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Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize â Wade Thomas Cathey, Jr. University of Colorado Boulder
The Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize recognizes significant research accomplishments in the field of optical engineering. The award is presented to W. Thomas Cathey for seminal contributions to the field of computational optical imaging and its commercial application.
Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award â Alessandro Tredicucci, NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Italy
The Nick Holonyak, Jr. Award is given for contributions to optics based on semiconductor-based devices and optical materials, including basic science and technological applications. This year, Alessandro Tredicucci is being recognized for demonstrating a terahertz quantum cascade device, the first compact injection laser in the far-infrared.
Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award â Mustafa A. G. Abushagur, Libyan Policy Institute, Libya
The Robert E. Hopkins Leadership Award recognizes an individual or group of optics professionals who has made a significant impact on the field of optics and/or made a significant contribution to society. Mustafa A. G. Abushagur is receiving this award for leadership in education and entrepreneurship, which led to establishment of important programs, institutions and companies devoted to developing optics in the United States, the Middle East and North Africa.
Edwin H. Land Medal â Pablo Artal, Universidad de Murcia, Spain
The Edwin H. Land Medal recognizes pioneering work empowered by scientific research to create inventions, technologies, and products, and is co-sponsored with the Society for Imaging Science and Technology. Pablo Artal is being presented this award for his scientific contributions to the advancement of diagnostic and correction alternatives in visual optics.
Emmett N. Leith Medal â James R. Fienup, University of Rochester
The Emmett N. Leith Medal recognizes seminal contributions to the field of optical information processing. James Fienup is being recognized for the integration of optics and digital systems as demonstrated in pioneering contributions to phase retrieval, image restoration, wavefront sensing, and computational imaging.
Ellis R. Lippincott Award â X. Sunney Xie, Harvard University
The Ellis R. Lippincott Award is given for contributions to vibrational spectroscopy, and is co-sponsored with the Coblentz Society and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. This year, Sunny X. Xie is receiving the award for his pioneering contributions to the development of nonlinear vibrational imaging, including coherent anti-Stokes Raman and stimulated Raman scattering microscopy, and its applications to chemistry, biology, and medicine.
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Adolph Lomb Medal â Andrea Alù, University of Texas at Austin
The Adolph Lomb Medal recognizes noteworthy contributions made to optics before reaching the age of 35. Andrea Alù is being honored for outstanding contributions to the fields of optical metamaterials and plasmonic optics, and for development of the concept of plasmonic cloaking.
C.E.K. Mees Medal â Bahaa Saleh, University of Central Florida
The C.E.K. Mees Medal is presented biennially to a recipient who exemplifies the thought that "optics transcends all boundaries," interdisciplinary and international alike. Recipient Bahaa E. A. Saleh is being recognized for lifelong multidisciplinary contributions to statistical optics, quantum optics, and image science.
William F. Meggers Award â Louis F. DiMauro, Ohio State University
The William F. Meggers Award recognizes outstanding work in spectroscopy. Louis F. DiMauro is being recognized for contributions to precision measurements of nonsequential double ionization, exploration of strong field interaction scaling properties from mid-infrared to x-ray and innovative experiments of time-resolved molecular imaging.
Charles H. Townes Award â Günter Huber, Universität Hamburg, Germany
The Charles Hard Townes Award is given for contributions to quantum electronics. Günter Huber is receiving the award for seminal contributions to solid-state lasers, particularly the growth, development, and fundamental characterization of new laser materials based on laser active transition metal and rare earth ions.
John Tyndall Award â James Coleman, University of Illinois
The John Tyndall Award recognizes contributions to fiber-optic technology, and is co-sponsored with the IEEE Photonics Society. This award is being presented to James Coleman for contributions to semiconductor lasers and photonic materials, processing, and device designs, including high-reliability strained-layer lasers.
Herbert Walther Award â H. Jeff Kimble, California Institute of Technology
The Herbert Walther Award recognizes distinguished contributions in quantum optics and atomic physics, as well as leadership in the international scientific community. It is co-sponsored with the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. This year, H. Jeff Kimble is being honored for his pioneering experimental contributions to quantum optics, cavity quantum electrodynamics, and quantum information science.
R.W. Wood Prize â Milton Feng, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The R. W. Wood Prize is given for an outstanding discovery, scientific or technological achievement or invention. Milton Feng has received this recognition for contributions to the invention and realization of the transistor laser, delivering simultaneously both an electrical signal and a coherent laser output and providing the basis for a new, higher speed electronic-photonic integrated circuit.
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