Michael S. Feld (November 11, 1940 – April 10, 2010) was an American physicist, who was best known for his work on quantum optics, and medical applications of lasers.

Biography

Michael S. Feld received his Ph.D. from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

under the supervision of laser pioneer Ali Javan. He remained at MIT throughout his career, where he was a faculty member from 1968 to 1976. He was the director of the George R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory at MIT. Feld was well known in the field of

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 ...

for his first observation of optical

superradiance In physics, superradiance, or superradiation, is the radiation enhancement effects in several contexts including quantum mechanics, astrophysics and relativity. Quantum optics In quantum optics, superradiance is a phenomenon that occurs when a ...

. He is credited for the experimental demonstrations of cavity, cavity-suppressed

spontaneous emission Spontaneous emission is the process in which a Quantum mechanics, quantum mechanical system (such as a molecule, an atom or a subatomic particle) transits from an excited state, excited energy state to a lower energy state (e.g., its ground state ...

, and the experimental demonstration of the first single-atom

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...

. In the later part of his career, he turned his attention to the field of biomedical optics, where he developed methods for in-tissue spectroscopy and imaging. Feld also directed the Laser Biomedical Research Center at MIT, where he worked on

fluorescence Fluorescence is one of two kinds of photoluminescence, the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, many substances will glow (fluoresce) with colore ...

and

Raman spectroscopy Raman spectroscopy () (named after physicist C. V. Raman) is a Spectroscopy, spectroscopic technique typically used to determine vibrational modes of molecules, although rotational and other low-frequency modes of systems may also be observed. Ra ...

to measure in-vivo levels of biomarker molecules that assisted in the imaging of disease-causing microorganisms via

endoscopy An endoscopy is a procedure used in medicine to look inside the body. The endoscopy procedure uses an endoscope to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike many other medical imaging techniques, endoscopes are insert ...

and

optical tomography Optical tomography is a form of computed tomography that creates a digital volumetric model of an object by reconstructing images made from light transmitted and scattered through an object. Optical tomography is used mostly in medical imaging re ...

. Feld strongly valued a scientific environment without ethnic or cultural prejudice, and many of his co-workers and Ph.D. students were from minority groups. Notably, he was the Ph.D. advisor of astronaut Ronald McNair, who died in the

Challenger disaster On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. The spacecraft disintegrated above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 16:3 ...

Honors and awards

*Fellow, The Optical Society *2008 William F. Meggers Award in Spectroscopy

Bibliography

*
MIT News: "Michael S. Feld, physics professor, dies at age 69"
* * * *

Notes

In 2012, the

Optical Society 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 ...

established the Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award which recognizes individuals for their innovative and influential contributions to the field of biophotonics; regardless of their career stage. The award was first presented in 2013 to Brian C. Wilson. A list of recipients can be found online at https://www.osa.org/en-us/awards_and_grants/awards/award_description/michaelsfeld/

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Feld, Michael 20th-century American physicists 21st-century American physicists American experimental physicists 1940 births Place of birth missing 2010 deaths American optical physicists Laser researchers Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty People from Jamaica Plain Scientists from Boston