Arthur Ashkin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arthur Ashkin is a retired scientist who worked at Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies. He invented the optical tweezers in 1986. He has pioneered the optical trapping process that eventually was used to manipulate atoms, molecules, and biological cells. The key phenomenon is the radiation pressure of light; this pressure can be dissected down into optical gradient and scattering forces. Ashkin has been considered by many as the father of the topical field of optical tweezers.
Ashkin's pioneering work formed the basis for Steven Chu's work on cooling and trapping atoms, which earned Chu the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics.
Ashkin retired from Bell Labs in 1992 after a 40-year career during which he contributed to many areas of experimental physics. He authored many research papers over the years and holds 47 patents. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1996.
Besides optical tweezers, Ashkin is also known for his studies in photorefraction, second harmonic generation, and non-linear optics in fibers.
Recent advances in physics and biology using optical micromanipulation include achievement of Bose-Einstein-Condensation in atomic vapors at submillikelvin temperatures, demonstration of atom lasers, and detailed measurements on individual motor molecules.
