Szymon Suckewer

Professor Suckewer's interests are related primarily to the development and application of X-ray lasers, powerful picosecond and femtosecond lasers, laser interactions with matter, the application of lasers to gas and plasma diagnostics, spectroscopy, and atomic processes in plasmas and gases. He is working on the development of a new type of ignition system for internal combustion engines in order to improve the engine performance and decrease its negative effects on the environment (e.g. decrease the pollution). Recently, he became strongly involved in the application of lasers for research in biomaterials and medical devices.

Featured Honors

On September 17, 2007 Professor Suckewer was awarded the APS Arthur L. Schawlow Prize which was followed by his Schawlow Prize Lecture, "A New Method for Generation of Ultra-Intensive and Ultra-Short Laser Pulses", at the Frontiers in Optics 2007 OSA's 91st and APS Laser Sciences Annual Meeting in San Jose, California. The Schawlow Prize recognizes outstanding contributions to basic research that uses lasers to advance our knowledge of the fundamental physical properties of materials and their interaction with light. Professor Suckewer was awarded the 2007 Arthur L. Schawlow Prize in Laser Science for pioneering contributions to the generation of ultra-short wavelength and femtosecond lasers and x-ray laser microscopy. According to the conference proceedings "The 2007 Joint FiO/LS Awards Ceremony and Plenary Session will feature three world-renowned speakers, (Szymon Suckewer, John L. Hall and Eli Yablonovitch)". It is the highest prize of APS for laser sciences.

Principal Research Activities

• X-Ray Lasers: Development and Applications; X-ray Microscopy
• Applications of Powerful Sub-Picosecond Lasers; Gas and Plasma Diagnostics: Spectroscopy
• New Type of Ignition System for Engines
• Bioengineering and Medical Applications of Lasers