Giallorenzi, Thomas G.
Oral history interview with Thomas Giallorenzi, 2019 November 19.
The interview begins with a discussion of Giallorenzis youth, including his education and anecdotes about his early jobs, as well as his undergraduate and graduate work at Cornell University and his work on the scattering of laser light in Chung Tangs laboratory there. Giallorenzi recounts his first laboratory job at GT&E Laboratories working on laser displays and arc lamps, and his move soon thereafter to the Quantum Optics Branch at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. He discusses his work at NRL on fiber optics applied to sensor technology, including acoustic and magnetic sensors, and to pathbreaking R&D in microwave photonics. He also discusses his move to leading the then-newly created NRL Optical Techniques Branch, the departure of staff working on nuclear fusion to Livermore, and new R&D directions within his branch that were necessitated by the termination of work on liquid crystals. He recalls his relationship with NRL Director of Research Alan Berman, his promotion to Optical Sciences Superintendent, his divisions focus on high-power lasers, including MIRACL, and his decision to terminate a branch within the division. He further discusses his relationship with the Pentagon, status as a member of the Senior Executive Service, and experiences as a high-level administrator. The interview concludes with discussions of other technologies NRL worked on, the balance between basic and applied research at the lab, awards Giallorenzi has received, and his work with advisory panels, the Naval Center for Space Technology, and the Optical Society of America (now Optica).
Thomas Giallorenzi is a Fellow of Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America) and spent most of his career at the Naval Research Laboratory. He completed his graduate studies at Cornell University.
Giallorenzi, Thomas G.
Tang, C. L. (Chung Liang), 1934-
Cornell University
General Telephone & Electronics Corporation
Naval Research Laboratory (U.S.)
Optical Society of America
United States. Department of Defense
Fiber optics.
High power lasers
Light -- Scattering
Liquid crystals.
Microwave optics.
Quantum optics.
Science and state
Interviews. aat
Oral histories. aat
Transcripts. aat
Duncan, Michael D. interviewer.
AIP-ICOS
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA