Boris P. Stoicheff
Encyclopedia
Boris P. Stoicheff was a Macedonian Canadian physicist.
Stoicheff was born in Bitola
, in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
(now Republic of Macedonia
). He emigrated with his family to Canada
as a young child in 1931, and grew up in Toronto
. He earned a degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Toronto
in 1947, and a PhD from the same institution in 1950. He stayed for another year at Toronto on a fellowship, then went to the University of Ottawa
to work as a postdoctoral researcher in a lab headed by Gerhard Herzberg
, where he worked on Raman scattering
.
Stoicheff became well known for his Raman spectroscopy
through the 1950s, publishing a number of previously unavailable high-resolution molecular spectra. In 1953 he was promoted to a permanent research position with assistants. In 1954 he married his wife Joan, and they had a son, Peter Stoicheff, in 1956 (he would go on to become a Professor of English). In the late 1950s, he became interested in Brillouin scattering
, and attempted to build a laser
, though Theodore Maiman succeeded in doing so first. Stoicheff nonetheless soon built the first laser in Canada, and researched using it for spectroscopy. He spent a sabbatical year in 1963 at MIT, working with Charles Townes and some of Townes's graduate students on the same subject, and in 1964 took a professorship at the University of Toronto. He served as president of the Optical Society of America
in 1976 and was awarded the Frederic Ives Medal in 1983. In the late 1970s he changed focus from Brillouin spectroscopy to Rydberg spectroscopy. He retired in 1989, though continued to perform research. By 2000, he was working on the origin of diffuse interstellar band
s.
Stoicheff died in Toronto on April 15, 2010.
Stoicheff was born in Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
, in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
(now Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
). He emigrated with his family to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
as a young child in 1931, and grew up in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. He earned a degree in Engineering Physics from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1947, and a PhD from the same institution in 1950. He stayed for another year at Toronto on a fellowship, then went to the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
to work as a postdoctoral researcher in a lab headed by Gerhard Herzberg
Gerhard Herzberg
Gerhard Heinrich Friedrich Otto Julius Herzberg, was a pioneering physicist and physical chemist, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1971, "for his contributions to the knowledge of electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free radicals". Herzberg's main work concerned...
, where he worked on Raman scattering
Raman scattering
Raman scattering or the Raman effect is the inelastic scattering of a photon. It was discovered by Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman and Kariamanickam Srinivasa Krishnan in liquids, and by Grigory Landsberg and Leonid Mandelstam in crystals....
.
Stoicheff became well known for his Raman spectroscopy
Raman spectroscopy
Raman spectroscopy is a spectroscopic technique used to study vibrational, rotational, and other low-frequency modes in a system.It relies on inelastic scattering, or Raman scattering, of monochromatic light, usually from a laser in the visible, near infrared, or near ultraviolet range...
through the 1950s, publishing a number of previously unavailable high-resolution molecular spectra. In 1953 he was promoted to a permanent research position with assistants. In 1954 he married his wife Joan, and they had a son, Peter Stoicheff, in 1956 (he would go on to become a Professor of English). In the late 1950s, he became interested in Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering
Brillouin scattering, named after Léon Brillouin, occurs when light in a medium interacts with time dependent optical density variations and changes its energy and path. The density variations may be due to acoustic modes, such as phonons, magnetic modes, such as magnons, or temperature gradients...
, and attempted to build a laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
, though Theodore Maiman succeeded in doing so first. Stoicheff nonetheless soon built the first laser in Canada, and researched using it for spectroscopy. He spent a sabbatical year in 1963 at MIT, working with Charles Townes and some of Townes's graduate students on the same subject, and in 1964 took a professorship at the University of Toronto. He served as president of the Optical Society of America
Optical Society of America
The Optical Society is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of publishing, organizing conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and education. The organization has members in more than 100 countries...
in 1976 and was awarded the Frederic Ives Medal in 1983. In the late 1970s he changed focus from Brillouin spectroscopy to Rydberg spectroscopy. He retired in 1989, though continued to perform research. By 2000, he was working on the origin of diffuse interstellar band
Diffuse interstellar band
Diffuse interstellar bands are absorption features seen in the spectra of astronomical objects in our galaxy. They are caused by the absorption of light by the interstellar medium...
s.
Stoicheff died in Toronto on April 15, 2010.
External links
- Articles Published by early OSA Presidents Journal of the Optical Society of America