{"id":2786,"date":"2026-02-05T15:53:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cleoconference.org\/?page_id=2786"},"modified":"2026-02-05T15:53:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:53:28","slug":"robert-fisher","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cleoconference.org\/robert-fisher\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert Fisher"},"content":{"rendered":"

Short Course<\/h2><\/div>

CLEO<\/h2><\/div>

The premier international forum for scientific and technical optics.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

REGISTER NOW<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Robert Fisher<\/p><\/h3><\/div>

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Course\u202fTitle:<\/strong>Foundations of Nonlinear Optics<\/span><\/p>\n

Course\u202fLevel:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Attendees of all levels are welcome.\u202f The first half of each chapter carefully introduces the basic concepts, amplified and solidified by the incorporation of relevant cartoons showing how things work.\u202f It is likely that even the very advanced attendant will\u00a0benefit\u00a0from these clarifying cartoons, especially those who have\u00a0teaching obligations in this field.\u202f\u202fSome advanced concepts are then found in the latter\u00a0halves\u00a0of each chapter. \u202fIn this latter half of each chapter, the beginners hear the names of certain concepts, whetting their appetites for being more\u00a0susceptible\u00a0the second and\/or third times they\u00a0subsequently\u00a0run into the names of these effects.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Course\u202fDescription:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This multi\u2014level course provides the basic concepts of bulk media nonlinear optics. Although some mathematical formulas are provided, the emphasis is on simple explanations.\u00a0<\/span>numerous<\/span>\u00a0cartoons are found mostly in the beginning of each chapter, each one chosen to lock in the basic elements of that chapter.\u202f It is recognized that the beginning practitioner in nonlinear optics is overwhelmed by a constellation of complicated nonlinear optical effects, including second-harmonic generation, optical Kerr effect, self-focusing, self-phase modulation, self-steepening, fiber-optic solitons, chirping, stimulated Raman and Brillouin scattering, and photorefractive phenomena. It is our job in this course to demystify this daunting collection of\u00a0<\/span>seemingly unrelated<\/span>\u00a0effects by developing simple and clear explanations for how each\u00a0<\/span>works, and<\/span>\u00a0learning how each effect can be used for the modification, manipulation, or conversion of light pulses. Where possible, examples will address the nonlinear optical effects that occur inside optical fibers. Also covered are examples\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0liquids, bulk solids, and gases.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Benefits\u202fand\u202fLearning\u202fObjectives:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • \u00a0Explain to another person the origins and concepts behind the Slowly-Varying Envelope Approximation (SVEA)\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Recognize what nonlinear events come into play in different effects\u202f<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Appreciate the intimate relationship between nonlinear events which at first appear quite different<\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Appreciate how a variety of different nonlinear events arise, and how they affect the propagation of light<\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Comprehend how wave matching, phase-matching, and index matching are related<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Explain to others how self-phase modulation impresses “chirping” on pulses, without using equations<\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Describe basic two-beam interactions in photorefractive materials<\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Develop an appreciation for the extremely broad variety of ways in which materials exhibit nonlinear behavior<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Intended\u202fAudience:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The material presented will be useful to engineers, scientists, students, and managers who need a fundamental understanding of nonlinear optics.\u00a0\u00a0This course has been attended by several active lawyers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    This Sunday afternoon Nonlinear Optics course might be excellent preparation for those who might otherwise be too cautious to take the excellent Monday morning CLEO course taught by Ben Eggleton, Principles and Applications of Guided Wave Nonlinear Optics.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Instructor\u202fBiography:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Robert A. Fisher is the owner of RA Fisher Associates, LLC<\/span>, his<\/span>\u00a0firm\u00a0<\/span>providing<\/span>\u00a0technical training in lasers, nonlinear optics, and in optics, provides private consulting, and provides expert witness legal services.\u202f As an expert witness, he was on the winning side of a Lawsuit that settled for $1 Billion.\u202f He has been active in laser physics and in nonlinear optics for more than 50 years. He has taught graduate courses at the Univ. of California, Davis, and worked at both Lawrence Livermore National Lab. and Los Alamos National Lab.\u202f He is an SPIE Fellow and an\u00a0<\/span>OSA Fellow, and<\/span>\u00a0was a 3-year member of SPIE\u2019s Board of Directors. He has served on the CLEO Conference Nonlinear Optics Subcommittee for 5 years, with two of those years as its chair.\u202f He has Co-chaired\u00a0<\/span>numerous<\/span>\u00a0SPIE conferences. He was the Program Co-Chair of the CLEO 2010 Conference and was General Co-Chair of the CLEO 2012 Conference (now renamed CLEO: Science and Innovations).\u202f For 4 years, he was Co-Chair of the CLEO Course Committee.\u202f In 2017 he was nominated for and has become one of the five top finalists for the International Bluegrass Music Association\u2019s award \u201cMentor of the Year.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

    <\/h4><\/div>

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