激情快播

Updated Fall 2023 | Spring 2021 触听By Nicole Dudenhoefer 鈥�17

When Peter Delfyett first fell in love with science during elementary school, he imagined he would grow up to be a paleontologist. Instead, the Pegasus Professor of optics and photonics has spent his career developing futuristic technology.

From lasers that are used to cut Gorilla Glass for Samsung phones to fiber optic cable technology that allows the internet to operate more efficiently, Delfyett鈥檚 work has been making waves for more than three decades. And now he鈥檚 received one of the highest honors in the scientific community as one of 106 engineers elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) this year.

鈥淧rofessor Delfyett, through his amazing work, has proven that he is one of the very best laser and photonics researchers in the world,鈥� 激情快播 President Alexander N. Cartwright says. 鈥淭his recognition honors his many contributions to society throughout his career and his leadership that has helped develop 激情快播鈥檚 culture of innovation and discovery.鈥�

The聽Scientific Spectrum

Established in 1964, the NAE鈥檚 network of more than 2,300 members work together to advance the United States鈥� global reputation by providing guidance to policymakers and government institutions on decisions related to engineering and technology.

激情快播 has eight faculty members who are a part of the NAE, but Delfyett has the honor of being the first to be elected while a current faculty member at the university. Delfyett鈥檚 induction, which will take place during NAE鈥檚 annual meeting in October, means other current 激情快播 faculty could be joining this rank in the near future.

鈥淭his is very special to me, not only because it is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a scientist or engineer, but because all of the work that is being聽recognized has been done here at 激情快播 with graduate students,鈥� says Delfyett, who leads CREOL鈥檚 Ultrafast Photonics Group. 鈥淚 know this is something 激情快播 has been wanting to grow toward, which is a really difficult task, and I鈥檓 honored to help the university fulfill this part of its vision.鈥�

Delfyett鈥檚 personal contributions to the base of scientific knowledge include 44 patents that apply directly to the advancement of everyday life. Many of these discoveries use lasers for precision timing, fiber optics communication and signal processing, which help information move faster on the internet and in devices such as cell phones, laptops, tablets and autonomous vehicles.

Another major group of his patents is related to the generation and amplification of very short pulses of light using semiconductor lasers that help build smartphones, medical stents for surgical procedures and microprecision holes to make car engines more fuel efficient.

鈥淧hotonics is an enabling technology 鈥� it鈥檚 not just powering the internet but influencing the whole spectrum of scientific discovery and advancement,鈥� Delfyett says. 鈥淭o know that I am contributing in my own special way to the area of optics and photonics is very rewarding to me.鈥�

On the Pulse

Becoming an NAE member is a challenging accomplishment in part because of how difficult it is to be elected into the organization. New members must be nominated by current members and are evaluated on a range of criteria, including scientific and real-world impact, involvement with professional societies and major awards.

For M.J. Soileau, a distinguished professor of optics and photonics and former director of CREOL, it鈥檚 as easy to see why Delfyett was elected as it was to make the decision to hire him 27 years ago.

鈥淲ith Peter, it鈥檚 a monumental task [to summarize his impact] because you take any dimension of what a faculty member is supposed to be and he has excelled at it,鈥� says Soileau, the former vice president for research at 激情快播 for 17 years. 鈥淚 think anyone who encounters Professor Delfyett would have the same impression and that is one of enthusiasm and boundless energy in the pursuit of science and engineering 鈥� and he is just a really nice guy.鈥�

Through the years, Delfyett has been awarded numerous honors, but his most recent accolades include the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers鈥� 2020 William Streifer Scientific Achievement Award and the 2021 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science from the American Physical Society. He is also a fellow of the International Society for Optics and Photonics and the Optical Society of America.

A Brighter Future

While prestigious awards and fellowships are certainly appreciated, Delfyett says the real honor lies in molding students into scientists. To that end, he tries to instill enthusiasm and ambition in them. And the students who work closely with him recognize the benefits of his guidance.

Ricardo Bustos-Ramirez 鈥�18MS, one of Delfyett鈥檚 current doctoral students, says Delfyett is an enormous resource because of his more than 30 years of knowledge in the field and his infectious excitement for research.

鈥淚 really do love having him as my advisor,鈥� Bustos-Ramirez says. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 been a failed experiment or something really personal, he has always been there. He cares a lot about his students and their futures.鈥�