William B. Bridges
Encyclopedia
William B. Bridges was born in Inglewood, California, was president of the Optical Society of America
in 1988.
He joined the Hughes Research Laboratories division of the Hughes Aircraft Co. in 1961 where he worked briefly on microwave vacuum tubes, then gas lasers. He discovered and patented the noble gas (argon, krypton, xenon) ion laser in 1964, lasers that are still around almost 40 years later (in DNA sequencers, cell sorters, and at laser light shows.) He worked on many projects using lasers: an airborne night reconnaissance system (AN/AVD-3), space communications systems, early high power laser weapons (the carbon dioxide gas dynamic laser, now extinct), hydrogen maser clocks for the global positioning system. In 1977 Bridges became Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics at Caltech; then the Carl F Braun Professor of Engineering in 1983.
He is a Fellow of the IEEE, the Optical Society of America, the Laser Institute of America, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.
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 1988.
He joined the Hughes Research Laboratories division of the Hughes Aircraft Co. in 1961 where he worked briefly on microwave vacuum tubes, then gas lasers. He discovered and patented the noble gas (argon, krypton, xenon) ion laser in 1964, lasers that are still around almost 40 years later (in DNA sequencers, cell sorters, and at laser light shows.) He worked on many projects using lasers: an airborne night reconnaissance system (AN/AVD-3), space communications systems, early high power laser weapons (the carbon dioxide gas dynamic laser, now extinct), hydrogen maser clocks for the global positioning system. In 1977 Bridges became Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics at Caltech; then the Carl F Braun Professor of Engineering in 1983.
He is a Fellow of the IEEE, the Optical Society of America, the Laser Institute of America, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.
External links
- Articles Published by early OSA Presidents Journal of the Optical Society of America
- Oral History interview transcript with William B. Bridges 28 January 1985, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and Archives
See also
- Optical Society of America#Past Presidents of the OSA