Johannes Petrus "Han" Woerdman (29 November 1942 – 18 August 2020) was a Dutch physicist. He was a researcher at Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium and later professor at Leiden University.

Life

Woerdman was born on 29 November 1942 in Laren, North Holland.[1] In 1968 he started working at Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium.[2] He obtained his PhD in mathematics at the University of Amsterdam in 1971 under Andries Rinse Miedema with a thesis titled: "Some optical and electrical properties of a laser-generated free-carrier plasma in Si."[3] In 1983 he left Philips and was appointed professor of experimental physics at Leiden University.[1]

At Leiden University Woerdman performed research into lasers and optics, specializing in classical optics.[2] He was responsible for building the field of quantum optics at the University.[4] In 2020 one of the articles he contributed to in 1992 was chosen as one of three classics of Physical Review A.[5]

Woerdman was elected a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002.[6] In 2007 he was named a Fellow of the European Optical Society.[7][8] In 2010 he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which caused his death on 18 August 2020 at the age of 77.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Johannes Petrus Woerdman (Han)" (in Dutch). Leiden University. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "In memoriam: Han Woerdman". Casimir Research School. 20 August 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "J.P. Woerdman" (in Dutch). University of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Overlijdensbericht Prof. Dr. J.P. (Han) Woerdman" (in Dutch). NRC Handelsblad. 25 August 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020.
  5. ↑ ""Donut modes"-artikel van Robert Spreeuw gekozen tot PRA classic" (in Dutch). University of Amsterdam. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Han Woerdman". Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "EOS Fellowship 2007 voor Ad Lagendijk en Han Woerdman" (in Dutch). engineersonline.nl. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 25 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "EOS fellows". European Optical Society. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020.
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