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William
B. Bridges was born in Inglewood, California in 1934. In
high school his hobby was (and still is) amateur radio,
first licensed in 1949 at the age of 14. He attended the
University of California at Berkeley and received the B.S.
(’56), M.S. (’57) and Ph.D. (’62) degrees
in electrical engineering.
He
joined the Hughes Research Laboratories division of the
Hughes Aircraft Co. in 1961 where he worked briefly on microwave
vacuum tubes, then gas lasers. He discovered and patented
the noble gas (argon, krypton, xenon) ion laser in 1964,
lasers that are still around almost 40 years later (in DNA
sequencers, cell sorters, and at laser light shows.) He
worked on many projects using lasers: an airborne night
reconnaissance system (AN/AVD-3), space communications systems,
early high power laser weapons (the carbon dioxide gas dynamic
laser, now extinct), hydrogen maser clocks for the global
positioning system.
In
1977 Bridges became Professor of Electrical Engineering
and Applied Physics at Caltech; then the Carl F Braun Professor
of Engineering in 1983. He greatly enjoys teaching; his
attitude about the importance of students and teaching is
apparent in how students view him. One of his students writes:
"In addition to his research responsibilities at Caltech,
Professor Bridges developed an exemplary teaching reputation
for his outstanding courses in electrical engineering and
applied physics. These challenging and highly entertaining
courses helped to shape a generation of young minds, and
reaffirmed that Caltech was manufacturing thinkers and not
automatons. Extending beyond formal instruction, Professor
Bridges mentored a group of graduate students, and provided
guidance to the formation of new careers. As a legacy, his
lessons and model examples will continue to influence staff
and graduates." And as Bill says, "Caltech is a teacher's
dream come true; the students are the brightest and most
highly motivated in the world, and the Caltech honor code
allows the students to become full partners in the learning
process."
He
has continued his research in various areas of electro-optical
devices and applications; mm-wave dielectric waveguides,
optical isotope separation, acousto-optic spectroscopy,
and waveguide gas lasers. His current research is in electro-optical
modulation at mm-wave frequencies using novel techniques.
He
is a Fellow of the IEEE, the Optical Society of America
(President in 1988), the Laser Institute of America, and
a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National
Academy of Engineering. He has served as a member of the
USAF Scientific Advisory Board, was on the Board of Directors
of Uniphase Corporation (now JDS Uniphase), and is a consultant
at the Hughes Research Laboratories.
Upon
retirement, he will enjoy his Sierra Madre house in the
foothills of the San Gabriels, and his second home in Nevada
City, California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas,
putting up new antennas and sorting widgets in the garage.
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