Optical Society of America elects Los Alamos' Peterson a Fellow

Contact: Bill Dupuy, wdupuy@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9179 (02-136)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Dec. 12, 2002 -- Otis “Pete” Peterson, a Chemistry Division staff member at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, has been elected a Fellow of the Optical Society of America.

He was cited for his discovery in the 1970s of the continuous wave dye laser and his contributions to the development of wavelength-tunable solid-state lasers.

The Optical Society of America was founded in 1916 to “increase and diffuse the knowledge of optics,” and its 14,000 members are spread around the globe. Of those members, only seven percent are Fellows. The Society produces publications, events and services intended to advance the science of light by sharing knowledge and innovation.

In addition to his work with lasers, Peterson is a polymathic physicist whose current research interests run the gamut from the development of novel nuclear reactors to X-ray crystallography. He has been with Los Alamos since 1979

He and fellow researcher Sam Tuccio developed the continue wave dye laser while they were researchers with Eastman Kodak.

The laser became a workhorse instrument for precision spectroscopy, dominating that field for 20 years. It also served as the foundation for much of the research into the laser production of very short optical pulses, where the pulses became so short in time that electronics could not measure the pulse widths. The laser’s big advantage was that it could be tuned to any visible wavelength (color) by turning knobs and by changing dyes.

Peterson made his contributions to the development of the wavelength-tunable solid-state laser when he worked at Allied Chemical.

This laser is based on a solid laser rod that exhibits the same wavelength tunability that previously had been the almost exclusive characteristic of the organic dye lasers. The laser eventually saw wide use, including serving as the basis for a large isotope separation program at Los Alamos.

Los Alamos’ Chemistry Division numbers over 400 people with an annual budget of more than $85 million. Seven technical groups support a range of programs in analytical, inorganic, physical, and environmental chemistry, catalysis, nanoscience, nuclear chemistry, radiochemistry, separations science, medical radioisotopes, and nuclear physics.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos enhances global security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health and national security concerns.

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