Established by OSA in 1975 to honor the many contributions that R.W. Wood made to optics, this award recognizes an outstanding discovery, scientific or technical achievement, or invention in the field of optics. The accomplishment for which the prize is given is measured chiefly by its impact on the field of optics generally, and therefore the contribution is one that opens a new era of research or significantly expands an established one. It is endowed by the Xerox Corporation.

Winners

2008	Jonathan P. Heritage Andrew M. Weiner
2007	Bahram Jalali
2006	Louis E. Brus Aleksey Ekimov Alexander L. Efros
2005	Masataka Nakazawa
2004	Rangaswamy Srinivasan, James J. Wynne, and Samuel E. Blum
2003	George Ian Stegeman
2002	Pierre Meystre
2001	Federico Capasso
2000	Marvin Minsky
	Paul Davidovits
	David Egger
1999	Carl E. Wieman
	Eric A. Cornell
1998	Robert Byer
	Martin Fejer
1997	Peter Moulton
1996	Eli Yablonovitch
1995	Gerard Mourou
1994	Dana Z. Anderson
1993	Joseph E. Geusic
	L. G. Van Uitert
1992	Yuri N. Denisyuk
1991	Thomas F. Deutsch
	Daniel J. Ehrlich
	Richard M. Osgood, Jr.
1990	Roger H. Stolen
1989	Daniel R. Grischkowsky
1988	Daniel S. Chemla
	David A. B. Miller
1987	David E. Aspnes
1986	Joseph A. Giordmaine
	Robert C. Miller
1985	David H. Auston
1984	Otto Wichterle
1983	Sven R. Hartmann
1982	Linn F. Mollenauer
1981	Erich P. Ippen
	Charles V. Shank
1980	Anthony E. Siegman
1979	Peter Franken
1978	Peter P. Sorokin
1977	Peter Fellgett
1976	Theodore H. Maiman
1975	E. N. Leith
	J. Upatniecks