F. J. Duarte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids F. J. Duarte
F. J. Duarte at a meeting of the Optical Society in 2006
Born	c. 1954 Santiago, Chile
Nationality	Chilean American
Alma mater	Macquarie University
Known for	Tunable lasers Narrow-linewidth dye lasers Multiple-prism dispersion theory N-slit interferometer N-slit interferometric equation
Awards	Paul F. Forman Engineering Excellence Award (1995) David Richardson Medal (2016)
Scientific career
Fields	Physics Optics
Institutions	Macquarie University University of New South Wales University of Alabama Eastman Kodak Company State University of New York University of New Mexico Interferometric Optics
Doctoral advisor	J. A. Piper
Other academic advisors	J. C. Ward R. E. Aitchison

Francisco Javier "Frank" Duarte, born around 1954, is a scientist who studies lasers and light. He has written many books about special lasers called tunable lasers.

Frank Duarte's work on light and lasers has earned him several awards. One big award was the Engineering Excellence Award in 1995. He received it for creating a device called the N-slit laser interferometer.

What is Frank Duarte's Research About?

How Lasers Work: Laser Oscillators

Duarte and another scientist, Piper, created a new way to build lasers. They used special mirrors and prisms to make very precise lasers. These lasers were first used with copper lasers. Later, Duarte improved these designs for other powerful lasers. This included CO₂ lasers and solid-state organic lasers.

Understanding Light: Intracavity Dispersion Theory

Duarte also developed ideas about how light spreads out inside lasers. This is called multiple-prism dispersion theory. It helps make lasers that produce very narrow light beams. His theories are explained in his books. This work helps scientists understand how light behaves in complex laser systems.

Special Lasers for Isotope Separation

Duarte's special laser designs have been used by scientists to separate different types of atoms. One important use was in separating uranium for energy. This process is called atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS). His research was supported by the Australian Atomic Energy Commission. Duarte even suggested that Australia should build an AVLIS facility. Later, in 2002, he helped research how to separate lithium atoms using precise lasers.

Solid-State Organic Dye Lasers

From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Duarte worked with the US Army. They developed strong, narrow-beam lasers that could be tuned to different colors. These lasers were the first of their kind to be tested in rough outdoor conditions. This research led to using plastic-like materials in lasers. In 1994, Duarte showed the first solid-state dye lasers that produced very narrow light beams. These lasers were so precise that their light was limited only by the Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.

New Materials for Lasers: Organic Gain Media

Working with R. O. James, Duarte explored new materials for lasers. They found that mixing plastic with tiny nanoparticles could create new laser materials. These materials produced smooth, focused laser beams. In 2005, Duarte and his team were the first to show light coming from an electrically powered organic semiconductor. This was a big step in making new types of light sources. His work in this area started by showing how certain dyes could create efficient, tunable laser light.

Studying Light and Quantum Physics: Interferometry and Quantum Optics

Duarte and his team showed how light patterns can overlap. This image shows a pattern from three slits, with another light pattern on the side.

In the late 1980s, Duarte invented the digital N-slit laser interferometer. This device helps with imaging and microscopy. He also used Dirac’s notation, a special math language, to describe how this device works with tiny particles of light. A unique part of this invention was using very wide, flat laser beams to light up samples.

This research also led to a general equation for the N-slit interferometer. This equation helps explain how light behaves in different ways. It covers interference, diffraction, refraction, and reflection. Duarte also used quantum physics to figure out how wide the light beam is inside a laser.

Later, very large N-slit interferometers were used to create special light patterns. These patterns can be used for secure communication through the air. These experiments showed that it's possible to "see" these light patterns without destroying them.

A useful discovery from this research was that N-slit laser interferometers can detect clear air turbulence. This is very helpful for airplanes.

Duarte explains quantum optics in his book Quantum Optics for Engineers. In this book, he describes how two particles can be linked together, a concept called quantum entanglement. He calls this the Pryce-Ward probability amplitude. Duarte believes in a practical way of looking at quantum mechanics.

Frank Duarte's Career Journey

Macquarie University Years

At Macquarie University, Duarte studied quantum physics with John Clive Ward and semiconductor physics with Ronald Ernest Aitchison. His PhD research focused on laser physics, guided by James A. Piper.

Duarte also played a role in changing how science degrees were structured at Macquarie University. He led a group called the Macquarie science reform movement. This movement was supported by many local scientists. In 1980, Duarte was elected to represent Macquarie at the Australian Union of Students.

After finishing his PhD, Duarte continued his research at the University of New South Wales and then back at Macquarie University.

Moving to America

In 1983, Duarte moved to the United States. He became a physics professor at the University of Alabama. In 1985, he joined the Imaging Research Laboratories at the Eastman Kodak Company. He worked there until 2006. While at Kodak, he chaired several important conferences on lasers. Duarte has also worked with the US Army on directed energy research.

He became a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Physics in 1987. In 1993, he became a Fellow of the Optical Society of America.

In 1995, he received the Engineering Excellence Award. This was for inventing a special device to check transparent surfaces like film. In 2016, he was given the David Richardson Medal from the Optical Society. This award recognized his important work on laser designs and making laser pulses shorter.

Personal Life

Duarte's polarization rotator

Duarte was born in Santiago, Chile. As a teenager, he moved to Sydney, Australia. He lived in Strathfield and then in Cowan. In the United States, he lived briefly in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, before moving to Western New York.

Books Written by F. J. Duarte

• Dye Laser Principles (1990)
• Tunable Laser Optics, 2nd Ed. (2015)
• Tunable Laser Applications, 3rd Ed (1996, 2009, 2016)
• Fundamentals of Quantum Entanglement (2019)
• Quantum Entanglement Engineering and Applications (2021)

See also

In Spanish: Francisco Duarte para niños

• Heat equation
• Laser space communications
• Multiple-prism beam expanders
• Organic laser
• Polarization rotator