Jim Kafka

Spectra-Physics Lasers
MKS Instruments, Inc., CA, USA

“Ultrafast Lasers for Multi-photon Microscopy”

Combining femtosecond laser sources with microscopes has created the flourishing field of multi-photon microscopy and provided the ability to produce stunning 3 dimensional images in biological disciplines including neuroscience. Specialized ultrafast sources are required for successful 2-photon and 3-photon microscopy as well as CARS and optogenetics.

Jim Kafka received the B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester in 1977 and 1983, respectively. For the last 35 years, he has been developing new products and is currently the Chief Technology Officer for Spectra-Physics, a part of MKS. In addition to authoring numerous journal articles, conference presentations and seminars, he co-authored a book chapter on Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics and holds more than 40 patents. Jim was the principal designer on three products, the Tsunami, the Opal and the Millennia X, which have won technology achievement awards. He has served the optics community as the Ultrafast Phenomena topical editor for JOSA B, the co-chair for the CLEO and Advanced Solid-State Photonics conferences and as a Director on the Board of Directors for the OSA. Jim is quite pleased to have served as a Distinguished Traveling Lecturer for the Division of Laser Science of the APS and to be a Fellow of the OSA.