| Authorised form of name | Sibbett; Wilson; physicist |
| Dates | 1948 - 2024 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Portglenone, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Date of birth | 03/1948 |
| Place of death | St. Andrews, Scotland |
| Date of death | 15/10/2024 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Memorial service: St Leonard's Church, Hepburn Gardens, St Andrews, Scotland (8 November 2024) |
| Occupation | Physicist |
| Research field | Opto electronics |
| Engineering |
| Materials Science |
| Astronomy |
| Physics |
| Activity | Education:
Queen's University, Belfast BSc 1970; PhD 1973
Career:
Lecturer at Imperial College London (1973); Reader; moved to St. Andrews University as Professor of natural philosophy chairman of the department of physics and astronomy (1985); Head of Physics and Astronomy, St. Andrews University (1988-1944); Director of Research, St. Andrews University; Wardlaw Professor of Physics (1997)
Honours:
CBE
Awards/Medlas:
Rank Prize for Optoelectronics 2007
Charles Hard Townes Award from the Optical Society of America 2011 |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 15/05/1997 |
| RSActivity | Medals and prizes:
Rumford Medal 2000
Lectures:
Clifford Paterson Lecture 2005
Council 2010-2012
Committees:
Physical Sciences Awards Committee 2018-2020
Research Appointment Panel A(i) 2002-2007
Sectional Committee 2: Astronomy and physics 1999-2002
Physical Sciences Awards Committee 2008 |
| Relationships | Spouse: Barbara Sibbett
Children: Rachael, Ruth, and Hannah. |
| PublishedWorks | RCN 52156 |
| OtherInfo | Conducted significant research on ultrashort pulse laser science and technology. Wilson, in his work on streak cameras, first demonstrated the technique of subpicosecond chronoscopy. By synchronous repetition, the streak cameras function as oscilloscopes. This was followed by his pioneering work on coupled cavity or additive-pulse mode locking and, more recently, his discovery of the technique of self-mode locking. First observed in nonlinear effects in titanium-doped sapphire, this technique has proved generally applicable and enabled the commercialisation of subpicosecond pulses of wide tuning range. Finally, he has exploited the advantages of diode-pumped solid-state lasers in the field of nonlinear optics for frequency conversion by demonstration of the world’s first all-solid-state optical parametric oscillator. These contributions are adding significantly to the power of laser techniques in physical investigation. |
| Source | References:
W Sibbett, 'Pioneering the femtoworld of molecules. Voyage through time, by A Zewail' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp 392-395
W Sibbett, 'Lasers and masers. How the laser happened: adventures of a scientist, by C H Townes' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 257-258
The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Professor Wilson Sibbett CBE FRS, [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/wilson-sibbett-12275/; last accessed: 02/04/2025]
The Courier, Renowned St Andrews physicist, golfer and New Picture House chairman Professor Wilson Sibbett dies at 76, Michael Alexander, 29 October 2024, [last accessed: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/obituaries/5110957/professor-wilson-sibbett-standrews-university-physics-obituary/; last accessed: 02/04/2025] |
| Code | NA4411 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| IM/005686 | Sibbett, Wilson | 1997 |
| IM/004175 | Sibbet, Wilson | 1997 |
| IM/004176 | Sibbet, Wilson | 2000 |
| WF/680/1 | Grant application from Imperial College London to the Wolfson Foundation | July 1978 |
| EC/1997/31 | Sibbett, Wilson: certificate of election to the Royal Society | 1993 |
| WF/680 | Grant applications from Imperial College London to the Wolfson Foundation | 1978-1981 |
| IM/003045 | Medallists 2000 | 2000 |