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The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of optical fibers is known as fiber optics.
Did you know that the person who coined it was from India? Narinder S. Kapany, passed away last month, is considered the father of Fiber Optics.
Did you know that the person who coined it was from India? Narinder S. Kapany, passed away last month, is considered the father of Fiber Optics.
In 2009, Charles Kuen Kao, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in Fiber Optics. Many felt that the committee missed a trick in not awarding the prize to the person who essentially created the field.
Narinder S Kapany was born in Moga in 1940. Moga is also the hometown of other legends like @SonuSood and @ImHarmanpreet.
After graduating from Agra University, he worked in a government munitions factory before moving to England.
After graduating from Agra University, he worked in a government munitions factory before moving to England.
He had originally moved to Britain for an internship at an optics firm in Scotland, to learn skills he could use in starting his own company back in India.
But the opportunity to work with Professor Hopkins, a towering figure in the world of optics, was too tempting to resist.
But the opportunity to work with Professor Hopkins, a towering figure in the world of optics, was too tempting to resist.
In 1954, the pair announced a breakthrough in the journal Nature, demonstrating how to bundle thousands of impossibly thin glass fibers together and then connect them end to end.
For those with the inclination and money do read https://www.nature.com/articles/173039b0
For those with the inclination and money do read https://www.nature.com/articles/173039b0
But soon after the publication of this article, relationship broke down between the 2 men.
Kapany married and sailed to New York. After the birth of his son, he moved to Illinois, where he took a job at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Kapany married and sailed to New York. After the birth of his son, he moved to Illinois, where he took a job at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
In 1960, he decided to start his own business and moved to the Indian techie hub of USA – Palo Alto.
He secured VC funding and started Optics technology to commercialize his research.
Check out the oversized scissors for ribbon cutting ceremony.
He secured VC funding and started Optics technology to commercialize his research.
Check out the oversized scissors for ribbon cutting ceremony.
He had difficulty in running the business and left Optics in 1973 to start Kaptron. He sold that to start K2 Optronics in 1999.
Through out his journey as an entrepreneur, he continued to teach and later endowed chairs at several University of California schools in optics.
Through out his journey as an entrepreneur, he continued to teach and later endowed chairs at several University of California schools in optics.
Dr. Kapany was a Sikh and proud of his heritage.
He amassed one of the world’s largest collections of Sikh art and sponsored rooms to feature it in museums around the country and endowed chairs in schools for Sikh studies.
He amassed one of the world’s largest collections of Sikh art and sponsored rooms to feature it in museums around the country and endowed chairs in schools for Sikh studies.
Dr Kapany would demonstrate fiber optics as "The great Indian optical rope trick".
Contemporaries remembered him fondly.
“When you see a guy who looked like that and who spoke like J.F.K., you’re not going to forget him.”
RIP.
Contemporaries remembered him fondly.
“When you see a guy who looked like that and who spoke like J.F.K., you’re not going to forget him.”
RIP.
