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Contact: Keithley Instruments, Inc. American Physical Society Presents Joseph F. Keithley
Award Arthur Ashkin of Bell Laboratories Receives 2003 Award for Research in Laser Cooling and Trapping of Atoms and Particles Cleveland, Ohio -- March 18, 2003 -- The American Physical Society (APS) named Arthur Ashkin of Bell Laboratories as the 2003 winner of the Joseph F. Keithley Award. The award was given for Ashkin's theoretical and experimental contributions to the understanding of laser cooling and trapping of atoms and particles, for demonstrating the optical gradient forces on atoms and the trapping of atoms with light, and for inventing optical tweezers and showing how they can be used to measure the physical forces generated by biological molecular motors. The Keithley Award, established in 1997, presents $5000 annually to a physicist who has been instrumental in the development of measurement techniques or equipment that have an impact on the physics community by providing better measurements. The award honors Joseph F. Keithley, founder of Keithley Instruments, Inc., for his contributions in the area of sensitive and precision instrument development and measurement techniques. Arthur Ashkin was born on September 2, 1922. He received an A.B. in Physics from Columbia College in 1947 and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from Cornell University in 1952. He worked at the Columbia Radiation Lab (1942-1945) while in the Army, and at AT&T Bell Laboratories (1952-1991). At Bell Laboratories, he conducted research on microwaves, nonlinear optics, and laser trapping. With colleagues, he made the first observation of CW (continuous wave) laser harmonic generation and CW parametric amplification, discovered the photorefractive effect, and initiated the field of nonlinear optics in optical fibers. He discovered optical trapping of dielectric particles and proposed stable optical trapping of atoms. He made the first observation of optical gradient forces on atoms and the first observation of molasses and optical trapping of atoms. He was the first to trap biological particles with optical tweezers. His awards and honors include election to the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences, the Quantum Electronics Award of the Laser and Electro-Optic Society of IEEE, the Townes Award of the Optical Society of America, the Rank Prize in Opto-Electronics, and the Ives Medal/Quinn Award of the Optical Society of America. He is a Fellow of APS, OSA, IEEE, and AAAS. The award is endowed by Keithley Instruments, Inc. and the Instrument and Measurement Science Topical Group of the APS. It is the only APS award recognizing advances in measurement science. The award's selection process is controlled by APS and is independent of Keithley Instruments. Keithley Instruments' products have long been staples in physics and research labs worldwide. For information about the Joseph F. Keithley Award, contact the Chair of the 2004 Selection Committee: Fred Fickett About Keithley Instruments. Keithley Instruments, Inc. provides optical and electrical measurement solutions from DC to RF (radio frequency) to the wireless, semiconductor, optoelectronics, and other electronics manufacturing industries. Engineers and scientists around the world use Keithley's advanced hardware and software for process monitoring, production test, and basic research. # # # |