The Stanford Photonics Research Center

September 2, 2008

ROBERT L. BYER, professor of applied physics and director of the Ginzton Laboratory, has won the 2009 IEEE Photonics Award. Byer the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor, was cited for "seminal contributions to nonlinear optics and solid-state lasers for commercial applications from precision measurement to manufacturing." The products of non-linear optics, which often involve changing the color of lasers, have wide use. For example, the yellow laser that creates an artificial star 90 kilometers above Earth is used by astronomers to calibrate their telescopes, to eliminate blurring from the atmosphere. Laser televisions, another product of multi-colored lasers, are expected to hit the market soon. Solid-state lasers have a wide range of uses, including trimming and processing the circuit boards in cell phones.