Andrew Dienes

During his tenure at UC Davis, Dienes expanded his focus from dye lasers to the cutting edge of semiconductor and solid-state lasers. In a prolific collaboration with Professor Jonathan Heritage, he led the development of the first successful model of spectral distortion and pulse shape evolution in semiconductor lasers. Their joint work significantly advanced the understanding of subpicosecond pulse evolution in semiconductor amplifiers and high-power ultrafast laser diodes. His other theoretical contributions were equally rigorous. Collaborating with S. P. Dijaili and Professor J. S. Smith, Dienes developed dispersive-pulse ABCD matrix formalisms, a mathematical framework that proved critical for understanding time-lens systems and complex pulse propagation.

Dienes also drove innovation in nonlinear optics and novel materials. Working with Distinguished Professor André Knoesen, he investigated ultrashort-pulse second-harmonic generation and nonlinear polymer thin-film structures. This research led to a notable professional reunion with his early Bell Labs collaborator, Charles Shank. Together, Dienes, Knoesen and Shank demonstrated that organic thin films and poled polymer structures could be used to both generate and diagnose femtosecond pulses.