PHYSICIST
Gérard Mourou
1944 - Today

Gérard Mourou
Gérard Albert Mourou (French: [ʒeʁaʁ muʁu]; born 22 June 1944) is a French scientist and pioneer in the field of electrical engineering and lasers. He was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018, along with Donna Strickland, for the invention of chirped pulse amplification, a technique later used to create ultrashort-pulse, very high-intensity (petawatt) laser pulses. In 1994, Mourou and his team at the University of Michigan discovered that the balance between the self-focusing refraction (see Kerr effect) and self-attenuating diffraction by ionization and rarefaction of a laser beam of terawatt intensities in the atmosphere creates "filaments" that act as waveguides for the beam, thus preventing divergence. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Gérard Mourou is the 242nd most popular physicist (up from 248th in 2019), the 904th most popular biography from France (up from 1,012th in 2019) and the 24th most popular French Physicist.
Gérard Mourou is most famous for his invention of the chirped pulse amplification (CPA) method, which has been used in the design of the laser amplifiers that are used in the third generation of the LIGO gravitational wave observatory.
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Among PHYSICISTS
Among physicists, Gérard Mourou ranks 242 out of 851. Before him are Leo Esaki, Vitaly Ginzburg, Nikolay Basov, Arthur Ashkin, Willard Boyle, and John Cockcroft. After him are William Shockley, David Bohm, Satyendra Nath Bose, Ivar Giaever, Ratko Janev, and Anton Zeilinger.
Most Popular Physicists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsLeo Esaki
1925 - Present
HPI: 70.47
Rank: 236
Vitaly Ginzburg
1916 - 2009
HPI: 70.47
Rank: 237
Nikolay Basov
1922 - 2001
HPI: 70.38
Rank: 238
Arthur Ashkin
1922 - 2020
HPI: 70.17
Rank: 239
Willard Boyle
1924 - 2011
HPI: 70.09
Rank: 240
John Cockcroft
1897 - 1967
HPI: 70.05
Rank: 241
Gérard Mourou
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 242
William Shockley
1910 - 1989
HPI: 69.89
Rank: 243
David Bohm
1992 - 1992
HPI: 69.83
Rank: 244
Satyendra Nath Bose
1894 - 1974
HPI: 69.80
Rank: 245
Ivar Giaever
1929 - Present
HPI: 69.80
Rank: 246
Ratko Janev
1939 - 2019
HPI: 69.79
Rank: 247
Anton Zeilinger
1945 - Present
HPI: 69.76
Rank: 248
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1944, Gérard Mourou ranks 64. Before him are Claudia Mori, Gennady Zyuganov, Rajiv Gandhi, Abdul Hamid, Harold Ramis, and Sondra Locke. After him are Mairead Maguire, Bernhard Schlink, John Rhys-Davies, Thein Sein, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, and Serge Haroche.
Others Born in 1944
Go to all RankingsClaudia Mori
ACTOR
1944 - Present
HPI: 70.34
Rank: 58
Gennady Zyuganov
POLITICIAN
1944 - Present
HPI: 70.29
Rank: 59
Rajiv Gandhi
POLITICIAN
1944 - 1991
HPI: 70.28
Rank: 60
Abdul Hamid
POLITICIAN
1944 - Present
HPI: 70.13
Rank: 61
Harold Ramis
ACTOR
1944 - 2014
HPI: 70.04
Rank: 62
Sondra Locke
ACTOR
1944 - 2018
HPI: 70.01
Rank: 63
Gérard Mourou
PHYSICIST
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 64
Mairead Maguire
SOCIAL ACTIVIST
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.94
Rank: 65
Bernhard Schlink
WRITER
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.94
Rank: 66
John Rhys-Davies
ACTOR
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.92
Rank: 67
Thein Sein
POLITICIAN
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.87
Rank: 68
Princess Benedikte of Denmark
POLITICIAN
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.81
Rank: 69
Serge Haroche
PHYSICIST
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.50
Rank: 70
In France
Among people born in France, Gérard Mourou ranks 904 out of 6,770. Before him are Émile Borel (1871), Jean-Marie Balestre (1921), Theuderic II (587), Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (1974), Joan the Lame (1293), and Lucien Laurent (1907). After him are Charles Maurras (1868), Georges Rouault (1871), Claude Victor-Perrin, Duc de Belluno (1764), Pierre Boulle (1912), Alix of France (1151), and Célestin Freinet (1896).
Others born in France
Go to all RankingsÉmile Borel
MATHEMATICIAN
1871 - 1956
HPI: 70.00
Rank: 898
Jean-Marie Balestre
JOURNALIST
1921 - 2008
HPI: 70.00
Rank: 899
Theuderic II
POLITICIAN
587 - 613
HPI: 69.98
Rank: 900
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
SINGER
1974 - Present
HPI: 69.98
Rank: 901
Joan the Lame
COMPANION
1293 - 1349
HPI: 69.98
Rank: 902
Lucien Laurent
SOCCER PLAYER
1907 - 2005
HPI: 69.97
Rank: 903
Gérard Mourou
PHYSICIST
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 904
Charles Maurras
WRITER
1868 - 1952
HPI: 69.94
Rank: 905
Georges Rouault
PAINTER
1871 - 1958
HPI: 69.92
Rank: 906
Claude Victor-Perrin, Duc de Belluno
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1764 - 1841
HPI: 69.91
Rank: 907
Pierre Boulle
WRITER
1912 - 1994
HPI: 69.91
Rank: 908
Alix of France
POLITICIAN
1151 - 1195
HPI: 69.91
Rank: 909
Célestin Freinet
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1896 - 1966
HPI: 69.91
Rank: 910
Among PHYSICISTS In France
Among physicists born in France, Gérard Mourou ranks 24. Before him are Hippolyte Fizeau (1819), Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788), Paul Langevin (1872), Edmond Becquerel (1820), Edme Mariotte (1620), and Jacques Charles (1763). After him are Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (1932), Claude-Louis Navier (1785), Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier (1754), Antoine César Becquerel (1788), Anne L'Huillier (1958), and Alain Aspect (1947).
Hippolyte Fizeau
1819 - 1896
HPI: 73.36
Rank: 18
Augustin-Jean Fresnel
1788 - 1827
HPI: 73.35
Rank: 19
Paul Langevin
1872 - 1946
HPI: 73.08
Rank: 20
Edmond Becquerel
1820 - 1891
HPI: 72.83
Rank: 21
Edme Mariotte
1620 - 1684
HPI: 70.69
Rank: 22
Jacques Charles
1763 - 1823
HPI: 70.65
Rank: 23
Gérard Mourou
1944 - Present
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 24
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
1932 - 2007
HPI: 69.57
Rank: 25
Claude-Louis Navier
1785 - 1836
HPI: 68.71
Rank: 26
Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier
1754 - 1785
HPI: 68.26
Rank: 27
Antoine César Becquerel
1788 - 1878
HPI: 68.25
Rank: 28
Anne L'Huillier
1958 - Present
HPI: 67.95
Rank: 29
Alain Aspect
1947 - Present
HPI: 67.36
Rank: 30