Linn Frederick Mollenauer (1937–2021) was an American physicist who worked on
quantum optics
Quantum optics is a branch of atomic, molecular, and optical physics and quantum chemistry that studies the behavior of photons (individual quanta of light). It includes the study of the particle-like properties of photons and their interaction ...
, including the study of
solitons
In mathematics and physics, a soliton is a nonlinear, self-reinforcing, localized wave packet that is , in that it preserves its shape while propagating freely, at constant velocity, and recovers it even after collisions with other such locali ...
in
fiber optics
An optical fiber, or optical fibre, is a flexible glass or plastic fiber that can transmit light from one end to the other. Such fibers find wide usage in fiber-optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at ...
.
Mollenauer was born on 6 January 1937. He studied at Cornell University, receiving his doctorate in physics from Stanford University in 1965. He taught for seven years at Berkeley, before embarking on a research career at
Bell Labs
Nokia Bell Labs, commonly referred to as ''Bell Labs'', is an American industrial research and development company owned by Finnish technology company Nokia. With headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey, Murray Hill, New Jersey, the compa ...
from 1972.
A key advance was in February 1993, when Mollenauer succeeding in transmitting "10 billion bits per second through 20,000 kilometres of fibers with a simple soliton system".
In 1982, he received the R. W. Wood Prize. In 1986, Mollenauer was awarded the
Stuart Ballantine Medal {{Refimprove, date=February 2018
The Stuart Ballantine Medal was a science and engineering award presented by the Franklin Institute, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was named after the US inventor Stuart Ballantine.
Laureates
*1947 - Ge ...
. Mollenauer was one of the recipients of the 1991
Rank Prize in Optoelectronics
The Rank Prizes comprise the Rank Prize for Optoelectronics and the Rank Prize for Nutrition. The prizes recognise, reward and encourage researchers working in the respective fields of optoelectronics and nutrition.
The prizes are funded by the c ...
. He received the
Charles Hard Townes Award
The Charles Hard Townes Award of Optica (society), Optica is a prize for quantum electronics, including laser physics. Awarded annually since 1981, it is named after the Nobel Prize-winning laser pioneer Charles H. Townes. In 2001, he was the recipient of the Quantum Electronics Award of the
IEEE Photonics Society
The IEEE Photonics Society, formerly the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (LEOS), is a society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), focused on the scientific and engineering knowledge about the field of quantum e ...
.
He was elected to the
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...
in 1993. He was elected a Fellow of
Bell Labs
Nokia Bell Labs, commonly referred to as ''Bell Labs'', is an American industrial research and development company owned by Finnish technology company Nokia. With headquarters located in Murray Hill, New Jersey, Murray Hill, New Jersey, the compa ...
in 2001. He was also a fellow of the
Optical Society of America
Optica, founded as the Optical Society of America (later the Optical Society), is a professional society of individuals and companies with an interest in optics and photonics. It publishes journals, organizes conferences and exhibitions, and ca ...
.
Mollenauer was co-author with
James P. Gordon
James Power Gordon (March 20, 1928 – June 21, 2013) was an American physicist known for his work in the fields of optics and quantum electronics. His contributions include the design, analysis and construction of the first maser in 1954 as ...
of the work ''Solitons in Optical Fibers: Fundamentals and Applications'' (2006)
Mollenauer died on 28 July 2021.