Colin Webb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Colin Edward Webb
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 9 December 1937 |
| Citizenship | British |
| Alma mater | University of Nottingham Oriel College, Oxford |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Clarendon Laboratory University of Oxford |
| Doctoral students | Patrick Gill |
Colin Edward Webb (born 9 December 1937) is a British physicist. He is famous for his work with lasers. He used to be a professor at the University of Oxford.
Learning and Studying
Colin Webb went to the University of Nottingham for his first degree. Later, he studied at Oriel College, Oxford to earn his advanced degree (DPhil).
His Career and Work
After working at Bell Labs in the United States, Webb came back to Oxford in 1968. He became a researcher at the Clarendon Laboratory. In 1971, he started teaching at the university. He became a full professor in 1992.
From 1995 to 1999, he led the Atomic and Laser Physics department. He became an emeritus professor in 2002. This means he retired but still keeps his title. He also became a Fellow at Jesus College, Oxford in 1973.
Webb has guided more than 35 students who were working on their DPhil degrees. In 1977, he started a company called Oxford Lasers. This company first made powerful copper lasers. Today, it focuses on fast imaging and special laser cutting technology.
What He Researched
Colin Webb is seen as a leader in laser research in Britain. He has made big discoveries in different types of lasers. These include hollow cathode metal-vapor lasers and copper vapor lasers. He also worked on high-power copper vapor laser-pumped dye lasers and excimer lasers.
His work on hollow-cathode metal-vapor lasers helped discover many new laser colors. These colors could be seen in the visible spectrum.
He was the main editor for a book called Handbook of Laser Technology and Applications (2003). He also wrote many papers about lasers for science journals. In 2010, he co-wrote a textbook about laser physics with Simon Hooker.
Awards and Special Honours
Colin Webb received the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) award in 2000. This is a special honour from the Queen.
He won the Gabor Medal and Prize in 1985 from the Institute of Physics. He also gave the Paterson Lecture for the Royal Society in 1999. In 2001, he won the Richard Glazebrook Medal and Prize.
He is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America. He was also chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1991. This is a very high honour for scientists. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.
