Leibinger prizes go to Sony researcher, Teradiode

Sept. 20, 2012

Ditzingen, Germany--The Berthold Leibinger Zukunftspreis for outstanding research concerning the application or generation of laser light was awarded to Dr. Osamu Kumagai, senior vice president of Sony (Tokyo, Japan). The jury noted his achievements in developing technologies for the mass production of laser diodes as well as pioneering decisions on the development of multi-wavelength laser diodes for the backwards compatibility of three generations of optical disk drives. There is no application process for the 30,000-euro Zukunftspreis, which is awarded every two years

In addition, the jury chose three prizewinners for the Berthold Leibinger Innovationspreis from among eight finalists. The Innovationspreis honors scientists and developers who make advancements in the field of laser technology:

- First prize of 30,000 euro went to Dr. Tso Yee Fan, Dr. Antonio Sanchez-Rubio and Dr. Bien Chann, at the Massachusetts Institut of Technology and TeraDiode (Littleton, MA) for their work on the dense wavelength multiplexing of a high power diode laser--also known as a direct diode laser.

- Second Prize of 20,000 euros was awarded to the Project Group InnoSlab Laser, composed of Fraunhofer-Institut für Lasertechnik (Aachen, Germany), EdgeWave (Würselen, Germany), and AMPHOS (Aachen, Germany).

- Third prize of 10,000 euros went to Andreas Blug, Felix Abt, and Leonardo Nicolosi at the Fraunhofer-Institut für Physikalische Meßtechnik Universität Stuttgart, and the Technische Universität Dresden for their work in real-time control system for laser welding.

The winners were presented with their awards at a ceremony on September 14, in Ditzingen.

About the Author

Conard Holton | Editor at Large

Conard Holton has 25 years of science and technology editing and writing experience. He was formerly a staff member and consultant for government agencies such as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and engineering companies such as Bechtel. He joined Laser Focus World in 1997 as senior editor, becoming editor in chief of WDM Solutions, which he founded in 1999. In 2003 he joined Vision Systems Design as editor in chief, while continuing as contributing editor at Laser Focus World. Conard became editor in chief of Laser Focus World in August 2011, a role in which he served through August 2018. He then served as Editor at Large for Laser Focus World and Co-Chair of the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar from August 2018 through January 2022. He received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at the Colorado School of Mines and Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.