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   THE 2011 IPPA PRIZE WINNERS

IPPA Senior Prize 2011, Merida

Professor Helion Vargas

For outstanding lifelong achievements in photoacoustics with pioneering applications in detecting electron-phonon interactions, phase transitions and ferromagnetic resonance in films; for the introduction of several novel experimental methods like the open photoacoustic cell nowadays applied in the study many different types of systems in physics, chemical physics, biophysics and agriculture; for sharing his knowledge with fellow scientists all over the world and, in particular, for inspiring and motivating so many young scientists and for his huge influence in the establishment of so many strong photoacoustic and photothermal groups in Latin America.
 

James Smith IPPA Prize 2011, Merida

Professor Gerald Diebold

For his outstanding and seminal contributions to photoacoustics and related fields, including experiments showing photochemical generation of sound, formulation of the theory of ultrasound generation from layered structures and bodies with simple geometries, and pioneering the field of the giant photoacoustic effect; for his elegant and lasting theoretical work increasingly used by many in a diversity of fields; for being instrumental in building and maintaining a vibrant international photoacoustic and photothermal community; and for his numerous efforts to the organization and quality of conferences for the benefit of scientists working in the photoacoustic, photothermal and related research fields.
 

IPPA Junior Prize 2011, Merida

Dr. Norbero Daniel Lanzillotti-Kimura

For his outstanding contributions to the field of photoacoustic generation and detection of coherent acoustic phonons; for the design and engineering of hypersound devices and their use in the study of novel physical phenomena.
 

   THE 2009 IPPA PRIZE WINNERS

IPPA Senior Prize 2009, Leuven

Professor Andreas Mandelis

for his seminal theoretical work in the shaping of thermal-wave sciences and associated thermophysical instrumentation and measurement technologies, including thermal wave depth-profilometry, imaging and the thermal wave inverse problem; the development of photopyroelectic sensors, the thermal-wave resonant cavity and biothermophotonics; and for his pioneering experimental work in laser infrared photothermal radiometry of semiconductors and the mathematical foundations of the field of diffusion waves.
 

IPPA Junior Prize 2009, Leuven

Dr. Todd Murray

for outstanding contributions to high sensitivity ultrasonically based inspection techniques, application to the mechanical characterization of thin films, plates and membranes, functionally graded coatings, and micro- and nano-electromechanical systems; development of laser array approaches for the optical generation and detection of elastic waves; and development of a novel photorefractive crystal-based technique to detect ultrasound-modulated light in diffuse media.

James Smith IPPA Prize 2009, Leuven

The James Smith IPPA Prize, established in 2009, was shared between Daniele Fournier and Claude Boccara.

Professor Daniele Fournier

for invention of the mirage effect photothermal deflection technique together with A. C. Boccara and its applications to non-destructive testing and materials evaluation; for pioneering work in applications of thermo-reflectance to semiconductors and thin-layer coatings; of photothermal microscopy to submicron investigations of thermophysical properties; and for the development of wavelength multiplexing and Fourier analysis for submicron thermal imaging.

Dr. Claude Boccara

for invention of the mirage effect photothermal deflection technique together with D. Fournier and its applications to non-destructive testing and materials evaluation; for pioneering work in applications of thermo-reflectance to electronic and thermal properties of semiconductors; and for seminal contributions to heat diffusion and light scattering in diffusing media and near field optics beyond the diffraction limit.

   THE 2007 IPPA PRIZE WINNERS

IPPA Senior Prize 2007, Cairo

Dr. C. Kumar N. Patel

for pioneering work in application of photoacoustics to trace detection in gases and liquids; development of high sensitivity signal acquisition techniques for liquid photoacoustics; application of photoacoustic sensing to the solution of analytical, medical, and environmental problems; discovery of laser action on the vibrational-rotational transitions of  molecules; and for invention of the high power carbon dioxide laser which has proven to be of key importance in the development of photoacoustic science.
 

IPPA Junior Prize 2007, Cairo

Dr. Bincheng Li

for seminal contributions to the applications of photothermal and thermoelastic techniques to the thermal characterization of grains, thin films on substrates, solids, gas jets and other industrial materials; for the development and applications of photocarrier diffusion-wave techniques to electronic transport studies of semiconductors; for the development of multi-parameter photothermal and photocarrier-wave computational techniques and their applications to industrial problems.

   THE 2004 IPPA PRIZE WINNERS

Prof. Vitalyi Gusev

for seminal theoretical contributions to the field of ultrafast photoacoustic and photothermal processes in materials comprising acousto-electronic properties of semiconductors, laser-based ultrasonic pulse generation, and carrier-phonon interaction; for numerous contributions to elucidating the fundamental physics of the photoacoustic effect; and for his coauthorship, with Alexander Karabutov of "Laser Optoacoustics" which has become the classic text in the field of photoacoustics.

 

IPPA Junior Prize 2004, Rio de Janeiro

Dr. Alex Maznev

for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the generation of photoacoustic waves at surfaces and interfaces, and of their time-resolved detection; for his elucidation of the physics of phonon focusing; and for his key role in the development of experimental methodology, theory, and industrial applications of transient grating methods, including their use for the determination of film thickness, thermal transport and elastic properties of materials.

   THE 2002 IPPA PRIZE WINNERS

Dr. Allan Rosencwaig

For fostering the renaissance of photoacoustic and photothermal science with seminal contributions in the field of surface spectroscopy with applications to solid state physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and electronic materials. For pioneering work, in collaboraiton with Allen Gersho, in formulating the theory of the photoacoustic effect in condensed matter, which is among the most frequently cited theoretical contributions in   the field of   photoacoustics. For his enterpreneurial leadership in applying photothermal and modulated reflectance techniques as semiconductor diagnostics in practical metrology instruments that are now widely employed in industry.

Dr. Andrew Tam

For his lifelong contributions to the theory and application of photoacoustic and photothermal effects. For his insightful development of the fields of photoacoustic spectroscopy of condensed matter, and laser processing and cleaning of semiconductors; and for succeeding, as a research scientist at IBM Almaden Laboratories, in incorporating photoacoustic and photothermal processes into the industrial environment, such as his Laser Curvature Adjustment Technique (LCAT) for fine tuning the curvature of the air bearing surface of the ceramic slider.