Character Catalog

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.

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.

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.

A key component of the CPA technique, the diffraction grating stretches and then recompresses light pulses. Strickland uses it to separate the wavelengths of a laser, making amplification possible without destroying the material.

Type of laser used in Strickland and Mourou's experiments to amplify ultrashort pulses. This synthetic crystal is at the heart of the high-power laser systems developed in the 1980s.

Essential measuring instruments in Strickland's laboratory for characterizing the duration and shape of laser pulses. They allow verification that temporal compression is being carried out correctly.

Mandatory safety equipment in laser physics laboratories, where intense beams can cause irreversible eye injuries. Symbols of the daily life of an experimental physicist.

The publication of the landmark paper on CPA is the central object of Strickland's career. This document of a few pages transformed laser physics and paved the way for medical and industrial applications worldwide.

A heavy table suspended on an air cushion used in laser laboratories to prevent the slightest vibrations from disturbing beam alignment. An everyday tool for the researcher in her precision experiments.