Peter Knight (physicist) explained

Peter Knight
Birth Date:1947 8, df=yes
Birth Place:Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK
Citizenship:British
Fields:Physics
Workplaces:Imperial College London
Royal Holloway, University of London
Alma Mater:Sussex University
Doctoral Advisor:Les Allen

Sir Peter Leonard Knight (born 12 August 1947) is a British physicist, professor of quantum optics and senior research investigator at Imperial College London, and principal of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre.[1] [2] He is a leading academic in the field of quantum optics and is the recipient of several major awards including the Royal Medal from the Royal Society and the Thomas Young Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics. He is a former president of the Institute of Physics and Optica, the first non North American-based person to take the position.

He is described as "one of the UK’s most influential scientists and leaders of scientific policy" by his peers.

Academic career

Knight's work is concerned principally with theoretical quantum optics, strong field physics and especially quantum information science. He was educated at Bedford Modern School.[3]

When Knight began his University education he attended Sussex University to read chemistry, but soon realised physics interested him more.[4] He received his first degree and D.Phil. from Sussex University and became research associate at the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Rochester and at the Physics Department and SLAC, Stanford University (US). He spent three years doing post-doctoral research in the US in the group of Joseph Eberly which gave him experience of working with "incredibly gifted people". He was then SRC research fellow at Sussex University, and later visiting scientist at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, US.[2]

He became Jubilee Research Fellow from 1976 to 1978 at Royal Holloway, University of London, followed by an SERC Advanced Fellowship from 1978 to 1983, first at RHC from 1978 to 1979, transferring in 1979 to Imperial College. He has remained at Imperial College ever since (apart from very frequent visits to the US), first as a lecturer 1983–1987, then reader 1987–1988 and professor since 1988. In addition, until 2010 he acted as deputy rector of Imperial College, having responsibility for the college's research.[2]

In his capacity as a leading figure in quantum optics, Knight works on several advisory boards, including the UK Quantum Technology Initiative Strategy Advisory Board, the Photonics EPSRC Innovative Manufacturing Centre, the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability in Cambridge and for several year was Chair of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council at the Ministry of Defence.

Knight has also spoken publicly about science funding in the UK, and cautioned against cuts or pauses in funding and its effect on the British economy[5] and regularly advocates for girls in STEM subjects and women in science.[6] [7]

In addition to his academic work Knight was editor for more than 20 years of Journal of Modern Optics and remains editor of Contemporary Physics.[8]

Knight is described by the Royal Society as "an influential figure within the wider UK physics community"[9] and by Miles J. Padgett of the University of Glasgow as "one of the UK’s most influential scientists and leaders of scientific policy."

Senior positions

Knight is Emeritus Professor in the department of physics at Imperial College London. From 1 October 2010, he was the principal and is now Senior Fellow in Residence of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre at Chicheley Hall. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Louvain-la-Neuve, a Humboldt Research Award holder at the University of Konstanz and a visiting scholar at the University of Texas at Austin and at the University of Rochester.[2]

Since 1999 Knight has been a fellow of the Royal Society.[10]

Knight was president of the Institute of Physics from 2011 to 2013; president in 2004 of Optica, the first non North American-based person to take the position;[11] and a fellow of the Royal Society. In addition he was a member of the council of the Royal Society. He has a seat on the European advisory board of Princeton University Press.[12] He was elected an honorary fellow of the Institute of Physics in recognition of his "major contributions to physics through his pre-eminent research, his influential leadership roles and his service to the Institute of Physics".

Knight was Chief Scientific Advisor until his retirement to the National Physical Laboratory and is Chair of NPL's Quantum Metrology Institute. He continues to act as an advisor to the British government.

Other awards

Knight was knighted in the Queen's 2005 Birthday Honours.

He was the recipient of the Frederic Ives Medal in 2008,[13] and the Royal Medal in 2010.

He has received awards from the Institute of Physics including the Thomas Young Medal (1999) and the Glazebrook Medal.

Knight has received many honorary doctorates including an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 2010,[2] from University of Sussex in 2010,[14] from University of Glasgow in 2015[15] and University of Birmingham in 2017.[16]

In 2012 he became a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.[17]

In 2019 he received the Herbert Walther Award for his outstanding contribution to quantum information science.[18]

Also in 2019 Knight received the highest accolade from the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Faraday Medal for his 'outstanding contribution in the field of quantum engineering',[19] acknowledging that 'His pivotal role in conceiving, designing and delivering the National Quantum Technologies Programme has put the UK quantum science and engineering at the front of the global race to establish the second information revolution.'[20]

He was named an Optica Honorary Member in 2024.[21]

Notable publications

Knight is the author of several books and hundreds of academic papers.[22] He is an ISI Highly Cited author. Publications include,

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: subscription. Knight, Prof. Sir Peter Leonard, (born 12 Aug. 1947), Professor of Quantum Optics, 1988–2010, now Emeritus, Senior Principal, 2008–09, and Deputy Rector (Research), 2009–10, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine; Senior Fellow in Residence (formerly Principal), Kavli Royal Society International Centre, Chicheley Hall, 2010–19. WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U23334. 978-0-19-954088-4.
  2. Web site: Emeritus Professor Sir Peter Knight . Imperial College London . 23 November 2019.
  3. "School of the Black and Red-A History of Bedford Modern School" by Andrew Underwood (1981); reset and updated by Peter Boon, Paul Middleton and Richard Wildman (2010).
  4. Web site: Eliza . Anyangwe . Science research is not a tap you can turn on and off at will . The Guardian . 20 March 2012 . 23 November 2019.
  5. Web site: Asking for a "strong, positive signal" for science . Institute of Physics . 23 November 2019.
  6. News: Collins . Nick . Half of schools register no girls for physics A-levels . The Daily Telegraph. London . 23 November 2019. 3 October 2012 .
  7. Web site: Day . Elizabeth . Why don't more girls study physics? . The Observer . 30 December 2012 . 23 November 2019.
  8. Web site: Professor Sir Peter Knight FRS . National Physics Laboratory . 23 November 2019.
  9. Web site: Peter Knight Biography . Royal Society . 23 November 2019.
  10. Web site: Sir Peter Knight FRS . royal society.org . 23 November 2019.
  11. Web site: Professor Sir Peter Knight . Institute of Physics . 23 November 2019.
  12. http://press.princeton.edu/about_pup/european_advisory_board.html Sir Peter Knight profile
  13. News: Past Presidents of the Optical Society of America. Optical Society of America.
  14. Web site: Sussex's winter Graduation is a worldwide celebration . University of Sussex . 23 November 2019.
  15. Web site: Commemoration Day . University of Glasgow . 23 November 2019.
  16. Web site: University of Birmingham awards honorary degrees . University of Birmingham . 23 November 2019.
  17. Web site: Peter Knight . German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina . 26 May 2021.
  18. Web site: Jackson . Caroline . Congratulations to Sir Peter Knight . Imperial College London . 11 January 2019 . 23 November 2019.
  19. Web site: Imperial Accolades . Imperial College London . 25 October 2019 . 23 November 2019.
  20. Web site: Quantum Optics, Sir Peter Knight and a Faraday Medal . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/OfCgAnO9s1A . 2021-12-14 . live. Institution of Engineering and Technology on Youtube . 30 October 2019 . 23 November 2019.
  21. Web site: Sir Peter L. Knight honored for quantum optical physics Optica . 2024-02-13 . optica.org.
  22. Web site: Peter Knight, Imperial College . Google scholar . 23 November 2019.