| Authorised form of name | Smith; Stanley Desmond; physicist |
| Nationality | British |
| Date of birth | 03 March 1931 |
| Place of death | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Date of death | 01 August 2023 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Funeral: Mortonhall Crematorium, Main Chapel (21 August 2023) |
| Occupation | physicist |
| Research field | Engineering |
| Instrumentation |
| Infrared spectroscopy |
| Spectroscopy |
| Physical meteorology |
| Solid state physics |
| Activity | Education:
Cotham School, B.Sc.; Bristol 1949-1952 (D. Sc); Reading 1960-1970 (Ph. D)
Career:
Professor and Head of the Department of Physics, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (1970-1996); Dean of Science (1981-1984); founded Edinburgh Instruments Limited (1971-2024).
Honours:
OBE 1998 |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 18/03/1976 |
| Age at election | 45 |
| Relationships | Spouse: Gill.
Children: David and Nicky. |
| OtherInfo | Used magneto-optical techniques to elucidate the electric properties of semiconductors to determine their band structure.
Collaborated with the Oxford University team in the application of advanced infra-red spectroscopy to remote sounding of the atmosphere.
His work led to highlights such as the tuneable spin-flip Raman laser, which gives the highest resolution molecular gas spectra, and the invention of the carbon dioxide Selective Chopper for the Nimbus 4 satellite temperature sounder.
Contributed to advances in optical coatings, magneto-optics of semiconductors, satellite meteorology, infrared spectroscopy and fluorescence technology and their applications. |
| Source | 'Professor Desmnd Smith OBE FRS' on the Royal Society website [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/desmond-smith-12307/, last accessed: 20/11/2024)
'Stanley Smith Obituary' on The Scotsman website [URL: https://www.legacy.com/uk/obituaries/scotsman-uk/name/stanley-smith-obituary?id=55604916; last accessed: 20/11/2024)
'One man's life story of boundless invention and innovation' on the Heriot Watt University wbsite [URL: https://www.hw.ac.uk/news-archive/2023/one-man-s-life-story-of-boundless-invention.htm; last accessed: 20/11/2024] |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/39483711 |
| Code | NA4139 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| EC/1976/33 | Smith, Stanley Desmond: certificate of election to the Royal Society | 1973 |