OSA News

OSA Past President, Sir Peter Knight, Honored by British Government with Knighthood

June 13, 2005 ( London , UK ) — OSA 2004 President, Sir Peter Knight, received formal honors on Saturday from the British Government and was knighted for his research into quantum optics during the Queen's Birthday Honours.

“Peter is a true leader in the world of optical science. His work in quantum optics has led to some significant advancements and his ongoing efforts on international scientific collaborations have propelled the field on a global scale,” said Susan Houde-Walter, current OSA President. “Peter is also one of the great communicators of science to scientists and the lay public as well. The OSA Board of Directors heartily congratulates Peter on this well-deserved and prestigious honor.”

Sir Peter Knight is professor of quantum optics and head of the Physics Department at Imperial College London in the UK and has been awarded a number of prizes and honors. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, of the Optical Society of America and of the Institute of Physics ; member, European Physical Society (and past chairman, Quantum Electronics and Optics Division, 1988-1992). He was Parsons Memorial Lecturer of the Royal Society and The Institute of Physics, 1991; Wood Memorial Lecturer, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1996; winner of the Thomas Young Medal and Prize, Institute of Physics, 1999; was awarded, with David Wineland, the Einstein Medal and Prize for Laser Science of the Society of Optical and Quantum Electronics and the Eastman Kodak Company, 1996.

Additionally, Knight was the coordinator of the UK Science and Engineering Research Council Initiative in Nonlinear Optics, which funded research in a wide range of nonlinear optics and quantum optics throughout the UK, and has been heavily involved in research-funding issues ever since.

About OSA

The Optical Society of America (OSA) brings together an international network of the industry's preeminent optics and photonics scientists, engineers, educators, technicians and business leaders. Representing 15,000 members from approximately 100 different countries, OSA promotes the worldwide generation, application and dissemination of optics and photonics knowledge through its meetings, events and journals. Since its founding in 1916, OSA member benefits, programming, publications, products and services have set the industry's standard of excellence. Additional information on OSA is available on the Society's Web site at www.osa.org. OSA is proud to be a part of the World Year of Physics, a celebration of physics and the 100 th anniversary of some of Einstein's greatest achievements. Optics is the branch of physics that studies the properties of light. For additional information on World Year of Physics, visit www.physics2005.org.

For more information, read the press release from Imperial College

For industry coverage of this honor, please see articles from Laser Focus World and Photonics.com.