Jack Feinberg

Jack Feinberg studies the fundamental properties of optical materials and invents optical devices. His pioneering work on photorefractive crystals has launched new directions for many research groups, and photorefractive materials now have their own heading in the optics journals. He invented self-pumped phase conjugators, devices that create a time-reversed version of an optical wave. He used a phase conjugator to combine arrays of semiconductor lasers, and has demonstrated a compact, highly coherent and powerful laser using this technology. Another area of interest is the nonlinear optical properties of materials, especially glass fibers. He recently demonstrated how to transform an invisible infrared laser beam into a visible green laser beam using an ordinary optical glass fiber. Prof. Feinberg also works on the medical applications of lasers and light, and won a 1995 Discover Award for his use of temporal holography to see through human tissue using light instead of x-rays. He also won a General Education Teaching Award from USC for his ability to present difficult concepts clearly to a non-technical audience. In addition to his research, Prof. Feinberg has served as an expert witness and consultant on a variety of high-profile patent cases involving different areas of optics and lasers.