Donna Strickland(1959 — ?)
Donna Strickland
Canada
7 min read
Donna Strickland est une physicienne canadienne, pionnière dans le domaine des lasers ultraintenses. En 1985, elle co-développe avec Gérard Mourou la technique d'amplification par dérive d'impulsions (CPA), révolutionnant la physique des lasers. En 2018, elle reçoit le prix Nobel de physique, devenant seulement la troisième femme à obtenir cette distinction.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Née en 1959 à Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- En 1985, co-invente la technique d'amplification par dérive d'impulsions (CPA) avec Gérard Mourou
- Obtient son doctorat à l'Université de Rochester en 1989
- Devient professeure à l'Université de Waterloo, où elle dirige un laboratoire de physique des lasers
- En 2018, reçoit le prix Nobel de physique avec Gérard Mourou et Arthur Ashkin
Works & Achievements
Revolutionary technique invented with Gérard Mourou enabling the production of ultrashort laser pulses of unprecedented intensity. It forms the basis of LASIK surgery, cancer treatment, and numerous industrial applications.
Scientific publication stemming from Strickland's doctoral thesis, co-authored with Mourou, which lays the theoretical and experimental foundations of CPA. One of the most cited papers in laser physics.
Strickland contributes to the rise of lasers capable of producing pulses on the order of a femtosecond (10⁻¹⁵ second), opening the way to ultrafast chemistry and precision medical imaging.
The highest honor in physics, awarded to Strickland for her foundational role in the development of CPA. She is the first woman to receive this prize in 55 years.
At the University of Waterloo, Strickland leads research on ultrashort lasers applied to biological tissue surgery, particularly for the treatment of the retina and cornea.
Anecdotes
In 2018, Donna Strickland became the third woman in history to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics, 55 years after Maria Goeppert Mayer. When the news was announced to her by phone, she jokingly replied that she first had to check it wasn't a prank. Her spontaneous, laid-back reaction made headlines around the world.
Before the Nobel announcement, a Wikipedia contributor had attempted to create a dedicated page for Donna Strickland, but the request was rejected by moderators who deemed the researcher not sufficiently 'notable'. A few months later, following the Nobel Prize award, the page was hastily created, highlighting how women scientists are often underrepresented in reference sources.
The revolutionary chirped pulse amplification (CPA) technique that Donna Strickland developed with Gérard Mourou in the 1980s gave rise to laser eye surgery (LASIK), performed on millions of people every year. Strickland herself only discovered this medical application of her work years after its publication.
When Donna Strickland joined the University of Waterloo after her doctorate, she held the position of associate professor rather than full professor — a fact that surprised many observers once the Nobel was awarded. She admitted she had never applied for a higher-ranking position, preferring to focus on her research without worrying about academic hierarchies.
Donna Strickland shares the 2018 Nobel Prize with her doctoral supervisor Gérard Mourou, an exceptionally rare occurrence in the history of science. The landmark paper describing their discovery, published in 1985, was drawn directly from Strickland's doctoral thesis — proof that a student's work can change the course of physics worldwide.
Primary Sources
We have demonstrated the compression of amplified chirped optical pulses. Amplification of the pulse was achieved by means of a grating pair expander, a Nd:glass amplifier chain, and a grating pair compressor.
The field of ultrafast science has been transformed by the development of sources that generate ultrashort, high-intensity laser pulses. This was made possible by the technique of chirped pulse amplification.
I thought it was really exciting that we were able to use these short pulses to do interesting things in science. I never really thought it would lead somewhere like this.
The developed system enables the amplification of light pulses without damaging the amplifying material, by temporally stretching the pulse before amplification and then recompressing it.
Key Places
Donna Strickland's hometown, where she grew up and developed her interest in science. This university city in southern Ontario is known for its university and scientific vitality.
University where Strickland completed her undergraduate studies in engineering physics (1977–1981), laying the foundations of her training in optics and applied physics.
Optics laboratory (The Institute of Optics) where Strickland completed her doctorate under the supervision of Gérard Mourou and developed the CPA technique between 1983 and 1989.
Canadian university where Donna Strickland has been a professor since 1997 and conducts her research on ultrafast lasers. It is here that she learned of the Nobel Prize award in 2018.
City where the Nobel Prize award ceremony is held every year in December. It is here that Donna Strickland received her Nobel medal and diploma in December 2018.
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Amplification par dérive de fréquence (Chirped Pulse Amplification — CPA)
1985
Article fondateur : 'Compression of amplified chirped optical pulses' (Optics Communications)
1985
Développement des lasers à impulsions femtosecondes
1989-2000
Prix Nobel de physique
2018
Recherches sur les lasers à fibre pour applications biomédicales
2000-présent
