The Story
In 1978, while still a student at UBC, Whitehead made a key discovery which led him to begin work on the light pipe. He showed theoretically that the `total internal reflection’ effect used in optical fibres could be harnessed in large hollow pipes, if they could be coated with precise gem-like prisms. His research on structured surface physics — the study of interfaces containing precision structures on a scale of 0.1 to 100 micrometres — led to the prism light guide. His system is important because it can make use either of sunlight or electric light as a source and carry it with very little loss to a distant room or object. His physics research continues to generate innovations in lighting, image display technology, optics, electromagnetic filters and thin flexible sound sources.
Sources: The Manning Awards; Science Council of British Columbia; Canadian Association of Physics; Image: Canadian Association of Physics website
The Person
- Title
- Physicist; Professor
- Office
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
- Status
- Working
- Degrees
-
- BSc, University of British Columbia, 1977
- MSc, University of British Columbia, 1979
- PhD, University of British Columbia, 1989
- Awards
-
- CAP (Canadian Assoc. of Physics) Prize for Innovative Young Physicists, 1984
- Ernest C. Manning Principal Award for Innovation in Canada, 1984
- British Columbia Science and Engineering Gold Medal for Industrial Innovation, 1995
- Taylor Technical Talent Award (Illuminating Engineering Society of North America - co-recipient), 1996
- several Edwin Guth memorial awards
- CAP Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Industrial and Applied Physics, 1999
- Last Updated
- April 8, 2015
- Popularity
- 11227
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