"Lasers - the Light Fantastic" Science and Applications from Pointers to DVDs Celebrating the International Year of Light 2015
Abstract: Laser technology was invented over 50 years ago and was once viewed as “an invention looking for an application”. Nowadays, lasers are a part of everyday life, from simple laser pointers, to advanced telecommunications that make real time video gaming across the world a reality. This talk will cover the basic principles of how lasers work and highlight several examples of real world applications, such as the CD or DVD player and fiber optic communications. Simple principles will be accompanied with several ‘hands-on-demonstrations’.
Biography: Peter J. Delfyett is the University of Central Florida Trustee Chair Professor of Optics, ECE & Physics at The College of Optics & Photonics, and the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) at the University of Central Florida. Prior to this, he was a Member of the Technical Staff at Bell Communications Research from 1988-1993, where he concentrated his efforts towards generating ultrafast high power optical pulses from semiconductor diode lasers, for applications in applied photonic networks. Some of his technical accomplishments were the development of the world’s fastest, most powerful modelocked semiconductor laser diode, the demonstration of an optically distributed clocking network for high speed digital switches and supercomputer applications, the development of the lowest ever timing jitter from a modelocked diode laser, and breaking the terabit per second data rate barrier from a single semiconductor laser. Dr. Delfyett served as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, Associate Editor of IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, and Executive Editor of IEEE LEOS Newsletter. He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America, Fellow of IEEE Photonics Society, Fellow of the American Physical Society and served as member of the Board of Governors of IEEE-Photonics and the Board of Directors of OSA. Dr. Delfyett has been awarded the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Faculty Fellow Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, which is awarded to the Nation’s top 20 young scientists. He has also received the University of Central Florida’s 2001 Pegasus Professor Award which is the highest honor awarded by the University. Most recently, he has been awarded the Edward Bouchet Award from the American Physical Society for his significant scientific contributions in the area of ultrafast optical device physics and semiconductor diode based ultrafast lasers, and for his exemplary and continuing efforts in the career development of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering. Dr. Delfyett has also endeavored to transfer technology to the private sector, and helped to found “Raydiance, Inc.” which is a spin-off company developing high power, ultrafast laser systems, based on Dr. Delfyett’s research, for applications in medicine, defense, material processing, biotech and other key technological markets. Dr. Delfyett has published over 650 articles in refereed journals and conference proceedings, has been awarded 35 United States Patents.
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