John Kitching (physicist)

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John Kitching (born July 28, 1968) is a BritishCanadianAmerican physicist and inventor, and a fellow and group leader at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. His research focuses on the development of compact "chip-scale" devices such as atomic clocks[1] and magnetometers.[2]

Early life and education[edit]

Kitching was born in Chester, UK, to a physicist father and educator mother. His family emigrated to Canada when he was very young and he went to elementary and middle school in Edmonton, Alberta. He moved to Vancouver, BC, when he was 15 years old and attended Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, winning the Governor General's Bronze Medal.[3] He obtained his undergraduate degree in physics at McGill university in 1990, receiving the Governor General's Silver Medal[4] for achieving the highest academic standing in the university that year. He completed his PhD in applied physics from the California Institute of Technology in 1995 under the supervision of Amnon Yariv.[5]

Career and research[edit]

Kitching's research focuses on the development of compact devices and instruments that combine elements of precision atomic spectroscopy, silicon micromachining and photonics. In the early 2000s, he and his group pioneered the development of chip-scale atomic clocks[6] and magnetometers.[7] based on a patent[8] filed with the USPTO in 2001. These instruments achieve an unprecedented combination of stability/sensitivity and small size, low power consumption, and manufacturability.

Kitching has also been heavily involved in the application of his compact instruments to problems in biomagnetism and nuclear magnetic resonance. He is currently leading in the development of compact, SI-traceable standards of length, time, voltage, current, and temperature under NIST's "NIST on a Chip" program.[9]

Several of Kitching's patented inventions have been successfully commercialized. His original chip-scale atomic clock was on display for about a decade in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum[10]

Awards and honors[edit]

2023: Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors[11]

2021: Fellow of the IEEE[12]

2021: Department of Commerce Gold Medal[13]

2020: Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence Award, Optica[14]

2018: Fellow of the American Physical Society[15]

2017: Federal Laboratories Consortium Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer[16]

2016: IEEE I. I. Rabi Award[17]

2015: IEEE Sensors Council Technical Achievement Award[18]

2014: Department of Commerce Gold Meda[19] l

2014: Rank Prize in Optoelectronics[20]

2013: NIST Fellow[21]

2008: Arthur S. Flemming Award[22]

2007: Jacob Rabinow Applied Research Award, NIST[23]

2005: Jack Raper Award for Outstanding Technology-Directions[24]

2005: Department of Commerce Silver Medal[25]

2005: European Young Scientist Award, presented by the European Frequency and Time Forum[26]

1990: Governor General of Canada's Silver Medal[27]

1986: Governor General of Canada's Bronze Medal[28]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Knappe, Svenja; Shah, Vishal; Schwindt, Peter D. D.; Hollberg, Leo; Kitching, John; Liew, Li-Anne; Moreland, John (2004-08-30). "A microfabricated atomic clock". Applied Physics Letters. 85 (9): 1460–1462. Bibcode:2004ApPhL..85.1460K. doi:10.1063/1.1787942. ISSN 0003-6951.
  2. ^ Schwindt, Peter D. D.; Knappe, Svenja; Shah, Vishal; Hollberg, Leo; Kitching, John; Liew, Li-Anne; Moreland, John (2004). "Chip-scale atomic magnetometer". Applied Physics Letters. 85 (26): 6409–6411. Bibcode:2004ApPhL..85.6409S. doi:10.1063/1.1839274. S2CID 27900453. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  3. ^ "John Kitching". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  4. ^ "John E. Kitching". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  5. ^ Kitching, John E. (1995). Quantum noise reduction in semiconductor lasers using dispersive optical feedback (phd thesis). California Institute of Technology.
  6. ^ Austen, Ian (2004-09-30). "Time on a Chip: The Incredible Shrinking Atomic Clock". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  7. ^ Eisenberg, Anne (2012-08-25). "Early Detection for Brain Injuries". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  8. ^ US6806784B2, Hollberg, Leo & Kitching, John, "Miniature frequency standard based on all-optical excitation and a micro-machined containment vessel", issued 2004-10-19 
  9. ^ "NIST on a Chip". NIST. 2019-11-21.
  10. ^ "Experimental Chip-Size Atomic Clock | Time and Navigation". timeandnavigation.si.edu. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  11. ^ Rittenhouse, Rebekah (2023-12-12). "NAI Announces 2023 Class of Fellows". NAI. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  12. ^ "IEEE Fellows Class of 2022" (PDF). services27.ieee.org. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  13. ^ "Department of Commerce Award Program Booklet" (PDF).
  14. ^ "2-Photon Optical Clock Collaboration Awarded OSA's 2020 Paul F. Forman Team Engineering Excellence A | Optica". www.optica.org. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  15. ^ "APS Fellow Archive". www.aps.org. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  16. ^ "FLC | Awards Publications". federallabs.org. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  17. ^ "2015 Sensors Council Technical Achievement Award – John Kitching". NIST. 2015-11-01.
  18. ^ "FLC | Awards Publications". federallabs.org. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  19. ^ "Department of Commerce Award program Booklet 2014" (PDF).
  20. ^ "Optoelectronics Winners Archive". Rank Prize. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  21. ^ "John Kitching". NIST. 2018-10-29.
  22. ^ "Arthur S. Flemming Awards | The Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration | The George Washington University". The Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  23. ^ "Thirteen Earn NIST Awards". NIST. 2007-12-05.
  24. ^ "Nguyen and Kitching receive Jack Raper award at ISSCC 2006". IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Newsletter. 11 (2): 8–9. 2006. doi:10.1109/N-SSC.2006.6500132. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  25. ^ "Department of Commerce Awards Program Booklet 2005" (PDF).
  26. ^ "European Frequency and Time Forum Awards Page".
  27. ^ "John E. Kitching". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  28. ^ "John Kitching". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2024-01-20.