Worked independently on a variety of research projects, notably:■ the effects of optical nonlinearities on ultrashort laser pulse propagation in optical fibers■ brillouin scattering of laser pulses in optical single- and multi-mode fibers■ theoretical study and exact solution for combined DC/optical Kerr effect in nonlinear media■ study of the potential for optical neural network technology using optical fibers■ the development of multi-layer, backpropagation artificial neural network classifiers used for image recognition■ the demonstration of an adaptive, multi-layer perception network for automatic face recognition and tracking■ the development of both steganographic and stegnoanalytic techniques for a variety of common image formats including jpeg■ project development for the application of an artificial neural network classifier to test jpeg imagery for suspected steganographic content

I worked during this time with Dr. R. Yip of the Division of Chemistry on several research projects, the two most noteworthy being:■ we conducted several experiments using an amplified, single picosecond laser pulse from a Nd:glass laser system to measure time-resolved spectroscopic behaviours on a picosecond time scale■ using assembly language to machine code a digital stepping motor, we developed a fully automated interface for a ultra-high resolution film densitometer used by the Herzberg Institute

I developed from 'scratch' an argon-ion laser pumped, CW operating, ultrashort dye laser system, the first of its kind in Canada. The design, construction, and testing of this system took approximately 14 months to complete.Working with G. Hall and Dr. G. Kenney-Wallace, we developed a simple, inexpensive methodology for accurately measuring the width of the picosecond dye laser pulses using a common, audio speaker and inexpensive optical components.While at the University of Toronto, I taught first year calculus and first year chemistry courses.

I worked on the development of the then-very-new KrF excimer laser which lased in the deep ultraviolet (248 nm). This work involved, among other considerations, learning to handle pure fluorine gas and the processes involved in passivating the laser components before use in the laser.I was also involved in a more peripheral way with the emerging technology of CW operating, ultrashort dye laser pulse generation.While at the Imperial College, I completed the work initiated at the NRC in Ottawa on imaging of a moving object. This paper was eventually published in the Physical Review in June, 1979 while I was at the University of Toronto.

While enrolled in the Electrical Engineering Department at Carleton University (Prof. V. Makios, supervisor), I worked full time as a 'guest worker' in the Laser and Plasma Physics Group at the National Research Council (Sussex Drive) with Dr. Martin Richardson as my supervisor. From 1971 to 1973, I worked chiefly in the field of ultra high speed photography using picosecond laser pulses from a Nd:glass laser. We developed a novel form of high speed photography by employing the Optical Kerr Effect (in CS2) in a transversely gated optical shutter. Picosecond time resolved photography was carried out for laser produced plasmas and for the 'in flight' profile of the laser pulses themselves. We took the world's first, single frame photograph of a picosecond laser pulse in flight. My thesis entitled "Picosecond Framing Photography of Second Harmonic Pulses and Laser Produced Plasmas Using an Optical Kerr Effect Shutter" was subsequently published as a Technical Report jointly by Carleton University and the National Research Council Canada.I continued working with the Laser Plasma Physics Group (Sussex Drive and Montreal Road) from 1973 to 1976 to complete my Ph.D thesis under the joint supervision of Dr. Martin Richardson and Dr. Neil Isenor of the University of Waterloo. My research focused on the theory and application of the Optical Kerr Effect using picosecond laser pulses. I developed a completely passive, Optical Kerr Effect device to mode lock the Nd:glass laser. This technique and device was, in large part, re-invented many years later to serve as the mode-locking element for Ti:Sapphire lasers. My thesis was entitled "Passive Mode Locking of Lasers with the Optical Kerr Effect Modulator".