Professor Kapteyn is a nationally recognized expert in the development of novel light sources at short wavelengths and what they reveal about the dynamic processes involved in material and chemical systems. This research, which he has conducted in collaboration with Margaret Murnane, has led to an advanced generation of lasers that allow scientists to produce light pulses of less than ten femtoseconds duration. Professor Kapteyn and his research group invented the first sub-10 femtosecond laser, which has become a crucial tool in science laboratories throughout the world. The implications of Professor Kapteyn’s research are extensive; the work gives scientists the ability to observe individual atoms, thereby providing a stronger understanding of microscopic mechanisms. It also facilitates ultrahigh-resolution imaging of single cells. Professor Kapteyn has been awarded the Arthur L. Schawlow Prize, the R.W. Wood Prize, the Willis E. Lamb Award for Laser Science and Quantum Optics, and the Ahmed Zewail Award in Ultrafast Science and Technology. He is also a fellow at JILA.
