Peter Knight (physicist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Knight
FRS HonFInstP
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| Born | 12 August 1947 Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK
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| Citizenship | British |
| Education | Bedford Modern School |
| Alma mater | Sussex University |
| Awards | Young Medal and Prize (1999) IET Faraday Medal (2019) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Imperial College London Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Doctoral advisor | Les Allen |
Sir Peter Leonard Knight is a famous British physicist. He was born on August 12, 1947. He is a professor of quantum optics and a senior researcher at Imperial College London. He also leads the Kavli Royal Society International Centre.
Sir Peter is a top expert in quantum optics, which studies how light and matter interact at a very tiny level. He has won many important awards, including the Royal Medal and the Thomas Young Medal and Prize. He was also the president of the Institute of Physics and Optica. He was the first person from outside North America to lead Optica. Many people see him as one of the UK's most important scientists.
Contents
Sir Peter's Journey in Science
Sir Peter Knight's main work is in theoretical quantum optics. This field uses math and ideas to understand how light behaves in the quantum world. He also works on strong field physics and quantum information science. Quantum information science looks at how we can use quantum ideas to store and process information.
Early Education and University Life
Sir Peter went to Bedford Modern School when he was younger. For university, he first studied chemistry at Sussex University. However, he soon found that physics interested him much more. He earned his first degree and his D.Phil. (a type of doctorate) from Sussex University.
Research and Post-Doctoral Work
After his studies at Sussex, Sir Peter became a research associate. He worked at the University of Rochester and Stanford University in the United States. He spent three years doing research in the US. This time helped him learn from "incredibly gifted people." Later, he was a research fellow back at Sussex University. He also visited Johns Hopkins University in the US as a scientist.
Joining Imperial College London
From 1976 to 1978, Sir Peter was a Jubilee Research Fellow at Royal Holloway, University of London. Then, he received an advanced fellowship. In 1979, he moved to Imperial College London. He has been at Imperial College ever since. He started as a lecturer in 1983, became a reader in 1987, and a professor in 1988. Until 2010, he was also the deputy rector of Imperial College. In this role, he was in charge of the college's research.
Advisory Roles and Advocacy
As a leader in quantum optics, Sir Peter serves on several important advisory boards. These include the UK Quantum Technology Initiative Strategy Advisory Board. He also advises on science funding in the UK. He has spoken out against cuts to science funding. He believes that such cuts could harm the British economy. Sir Peter also strongly supports girls and women in STEM subjects. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
Contributions to Scientific Journals
For over 20 years, Sir Peter was the editor of the Journal of Modern Optics. He is still an editor for Contemporary Physics. These journals publish new research in physics.
Leadership Roles and Honors
Sir Peter Knight is an Emeritus Professor in the physics department at Imperial College London. This means he has retired but still holds an honored position. Since 2010, he has been a Senior Fellow in Residence at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre. He has also been a visiting professor at other universities around the world.
Fellowships and Presidencies
Since 1999, Sir Peter has been a fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected scientific academy. From 2011 to 2013, he was the president of the Institute of Physics. In 2004, he became president of Optica. He was the first person from outside North America to hold this position. He was also a member of the Royal Society's council. The Institute of Physics made him an honorary fellow. They recognized his "major contributions to physics" through his research and leadership.
Advising the Government
Sir Peter was the Chief Scientific Advisor for the National Physical Laboratory. He also chairs their Quantum Metrology Institute. Even after retiring from these roles, he continues to advise the British government on scientific matters.
Awards and Recognition
Sir Peter Knight has received many honors for his work.
Knighthood and Medals
He was knighted by the Queen in 2005. This means he received the title "Sir." In 2008, he received the Frederic Ives Medal. In 2010, he was awarded the Royal Medal. He also received the Thomas Young Medal in 1999 and the Glazebrook Medal from the Institute of Physics.
Honorary Doctorates
Many universities have given Sir Peter honorary doctorates. These include Heriot-Watt University (2010), University of Sussex (2010), University of Glasgow (2015), and University of Birmingham (2017).
Other Prestigious Awards
In 2012, he became a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. In 2019, he received the Herbert Walther Award. This award recognized his amazing work in quantum information science. Also in 2019, he received the Faraday Medal. This is the highest award from the Institution of Engineering and Technology. It honored his "outstanding contribution in the field of quantum engineering." The award noted his key role in starting the National Quantum Technologies Programme. This program has made the UK a leader in quantum science. In 2024, he was named an Optica Honorary Member.
Books and Papers
Sir Peter Knight has written several books and hundreds of academic papers. He is known as an ISI Highly Cited author. This means his work is often referenced by other scientists.
Some of his important publications include:
- Concepts of quantum optics (1983)
- Squeezed light : special issue (1987) with Rodney Loudon
- The quantum-jump approach to dissipative dynamics in quantum optics (1998) with M.B. Plenio
- Atomic physics with super-high intensity lasers (1997) with M. Protopapas and Christoph Keitel
- Introductory quantum optics (2004) with Christopher C. Gerry
- Springer handbook of atomic, molecular, and optical physics (2006) with S. Scheel (a chapter)
- The Jaynes-Cummings Model (2007) with Bruce Shore
See also
- Juan Ignacio Cirac Sasturain
- Immanuel Bloch
- Nonclassical light
- Optics
- Robert Boyd (physicist)
- Steven Girvin
- Vlatko Vedral
