Peter A. Franken was an American physicist who contributed to the field of nonlinear optics

Nonlinear optics

Nonlinear optics is the branch of optics that describes the behavior of light in nonlinear media, that is, media in which the dielectric polarization P responds nonlinearly to the electric field E of the light...

. He was president of the Optical Society of America

Optical Society of America

The Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...

 in 1977.
In 1961, Professor Peter Franken and his coworkers in the Randall Laboratory at the University of Michigan

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 observed for the first time the second harmonic generation

Second harmonic generation

An optical frequency multiplier is a nonlinear optical device, in which photons interacting with a nonlinear material are effectively "combined" to form new photons with greater energy, and thus higher frequency...

. This event launched a golden age in optical physics that has led to applications in fields ranging from optical communications and biological imaging to X-ray generation and homeland security.

External links

• Articles Published by early OSA Presidents Journal of the Optical Society of America

See also

• Optical Society of America#Past Presidents of the OSA