Georges Nomarski
Encyclopedia
Georges Nomarski (January 6, 1919 - 1997) was a Polish
physicist and optics theoretician. Creator of Nomarski Interference Contrast (NIC) or differential interference contrast microscopy
(DIC), the method is widely used to study live biological specimens and unstained tissues.
, Nomarski was educated in Warsaw
and served in the Polish Resistance
during World War II. Captured by enemy forces, he was a prisoner of war until March 1945. He finished his education in France and received his diploma from l'Ecole Supérieure d'Optique Paris (Grande Ecole). In 1950, Nomarski established the Laboratoire de Microscopie Optique de L'Institut d'Optique and became a professor of microscopy and head of the department at his alma mater. He simultaneously conducted research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), where the physicist rose to the Directorship of Research by 1965.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
physicist and optics theoretician. Creator of Nomarski Interference Contrast (NIC) or differential interference contrast microscopy
Differential interference contrast microscopy
Differential interference contrast microscopy , also known as Nomarski Interference Contrast or Nomarski microscopy, is an optical microscopy illumination technique used to enhance the contrast in unstained, transparent samples...
(DIC), the method is widely used to study live biological specimens and unstained tissues.
Biography
Born in Nowy TargNowy Targ
Nowy Targ is a town in southern Poland with 34,000 inhabitants , and the historical capital of the mountain region . The town is situated in the confluence of the rivers Biały and Czarny Dunajec, in a valley beneath the Gorce Mountains. It's in Nowy Targ County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship...
, Nomarski was educated in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and served in the Polish Resistance
Polish resistance movement in World War II
The Polish resistance movement in World War II, with the Home Army at its forefront, was the largest underground resistance in all of Nazi-occupied Europe, covering both German and Soviet zones of occupation. The Polish defence against the Nazi occupation was an important part of the European...
during World War II. Captured by enemy forces, he was a prisoner of war until March 1945. He finished his education in France and received his diploma from l'Ecole Supérieure d'Optique Paris (Grande Ecole). In 1950, Nomarski established the Laboratoire de Microscopie Optique de L'Institut d'Optique and became a professor of microscopy and head of the department at his alma mater. He simultaneously conducted research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), where the physicist rose to the Directorship of Research by 1965.
Honors
- Fellow of the Optical Society of America (1972)
- Honorary Fellow by the Royal Microscopical Society
- Abbe Medal recipient