光学,明天更辉煌——写在北京理工大学光电工程系建系50周年

Optics, A Brilliant Tomorrow ——In Commemoration of the Golden Anniversary of the Department of Optical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology

叙述了20世纪光学的发展历程.光学对人类社会的伟大贡献在于:20世纪初期相对论和量子力学二个最重大的发现都与光和光学相关;光学的研究和进展,特别是激光、光纤通信和光存储技术的发明,促进了信息社会的形成.20世纪,传统光学迈向现代光学,光子学和光子技术破门而出.可以预期,21世纪光子技术将成为信息化社会的另一主要支柱.科技实践表明:光学的发展历程是人类创造性思维历程的一部分.对光和光子的认识和利用每前进一步,人类社会就前进一大步.昨天的光学成就非凡,今天的光学欣欣向荣,明天的光学将更加辉煌.

A historical development of optics in the 20th century is briefly described. The great contribution of optics to the human society lies in that the two most important discoveries, viz. the special and general relativity as well as the quantum mechanics, were both related to light and optics in the early days of the 20th century. The research and development in optics, especially the invention of laser, fiber communication and optical storage,have promoted the generation of the information society. In the 20th century, traditional optics was striding forward to the modern optics, and photonics and its technology forced open its doorway. It could be expected that the photonic technology will become another principal mainstay in the information society of the 21th century. The practice of science and technology showed that the historical development of optics has demonstrated a part of creative thinking of the human society. With every step forward in recognizing and utilizing photon and light, the human society will make further a big stride forward. Optics--A successful yesterday, a prospective today and a brilliant tomorrow.