NICK HOLONYAK

BIRTH AND DEATH

Birth: 11/3/1928     Death: 9/20/2022

OCCUPATION

scientist

BIOGRAPHY SUMMARY

Nick Holonyak Jr. was an American engineer and educator. He is noted particularly for his 1962 invention and first demonstration of a semiconductor laser diode that emitted visible light. This device was the forerunner of the first generation of commercial light-emitting diodes (LEDs). He was then working at a General Electric research laboratory near Syracuse, New York. He left General Electric in 1963 and returned to his alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he later became John Bardeen Endowed Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics.

NOTABLE WORK

light-emitting diode

WHY THEY MATTER

Nick Holonyak Jr. was intellectually unique for his groundbreaking invention and demonstration of the semiconductor laser diode in 1962, which emitted visible light and paved the way for the development of commercial LEDs. His work not only revolutionized the field of optoelectronics but also had significant implications for various technological advancements. Holonyak's contributions have left a lasting impact on the field of electrical engineering and solid-state physics, solidifying his legacy as a pioneering figure in semiconductor technology.

FAMOUS QUOTE

It is electromagnetism (EM) in all its many forms that has been so basic, that haunts us and guides us.about what has been the guiding idea for the development of transistor electronics, in a foreword of the special Indian Edition ofRao (2006).Elements of Engineering Electromagnetics, Sixth Edition. Pearson Education India. p. xix.ISBN 8131703991.

WIKIPEDIA PAGE

Wikipedia Page