| Kenneth O. Hill | |
|---|---|
Dr. Kenneth O. Hill, pictured in 1988
|
|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Fields | Physics, Photonics |
| Institutions | Communications Research Centre Nu-Wave Photonics/Zenastra Photonics Inc OZ Optics Limited |
| Alma mater | McMaster University |
| Notable awards | Fellowship, Optical Society of America Manning Principal Award John Tyndall Award Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Applied Photonics Rank Prize in Optoelectronics |
Dr. Kenneth O. Hill is a physicist who specializes in the field of photonics. In the late 1970s, he discovered the phenomena of photosensitivity in optical fiber and has worked extensively in its applications.[1][2] He first demonstrated Fiber Bragg gratings and their applications in optical communication and optical sensor systems.[3] Further areas of his discovery and innovation include the phase mask technique for grating fabrication, fiber grating dispersion compensators, and wavelength selective fiber filters, multiplexers and demultiplexers.[4] This field of research has led to the ability to create high speed fiber optic networks as well as many other communication applications that have revolutionized the telecommunications industry.
Contents |
Hill was born in 1939 in Guadalajara, Mexico. He attended the then American elementary school in Guadalajara until high school, whereupon he attended Upper Canada College in Toronto, Canada.[2] Hill pursued a B.Eng (1963), M.Eng (1965) as well as a Ph.D in Engineering Physics (1968) from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.[4] He is also a Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario, Canada.[3]
Upon completing his Ph.D in 1968, Hill worked for the Government of Canada's Defense Research Telecommunications Establishment (DRTE) as a research scientist.[2][4][5] Later that year, the DRTE was converted to the Communications Research Centre (CRC). At CRC, he continued as a research scientist before working as a Group leader in Optical Data Storage and Signal Processing (1970–1975), Manager of Optical Communications (1975–1985), Director of Optical Communications (1985–1992) as well as Principal Scientist (1992–2000).[4][5]
In 2000, Hill left CRC and was appointed to be the Director of Research at Nu-Wave Photonics/Zenastra Photonics Inc, operating in optical circuit and network design and manufacturing.[6] In 2001, Hill joined OZ Optics Limited, a supplier of optical products for optical networks, as a part of their research team.[7]
In 1991, Hill was elected to Fellowship in the Optical Society of America (OSA) for his efforts pertaining to fused fiber optical couplers, photosensitivity in fibers, novel fiber-based devices and nonlinear effects in fibers.[4][7] He was the 1995 recipient of the Manning Principal Award for the discovery of photosensitivity in optical fibers as well as the many commercial applications his work led to.[2][4][8] At the 1996 Optical Fiber Communications Conference, Hill was awarded the John Tyndall Award sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Lasers and Electro-Optics Society (LEOS) and the Optical Society of America.[5][9] The award was presented for the discovery of photosensitivity in optical fibers and its application to Bragg gratings used in device applications in optical communications and sensor systems."[5] In 1998, Hill was awarded the inaugural Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Applied Photonics from the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and the National Optics Institute (INO).[4] Hill was also awarded the Rank Prize in Optoelectronics in 2002 as one of four scientists recognized for creating and developing Fiber Bragg gratings.[10]