Isaac Abella - Biography

Isaac David Abella (born June 20, 1934 in Toronto, Ontario) is Professor of Physics at The University of Chicago. He specializes in laser physics, quantum optics, and spectroscopy. Isaac is the cousin of Irving Abella.

Abella received his Bachelor of Arts degree (1957) from the University of Toronto, Master of Arts (1959) degree, and Ph.D. (1963) in Physics from Columbia University in New York. He studied under Charles H. Townes and was involved in the early research work of laser development. Notably, Abella's thesis under Townes was among the earliest work on two-photon absorption.

He was married to the late MaryAnn Abella, Professor of Art, Chicago State University. He has a son Benjamin, and daughter, Sarah.

Articles

• I. D. Abella and C. H. Townes. "Mode Characteristics and Coherence in Optical Ruby Masers", Nature 192, 957(1961)
• N.A. Kurnit, I.D. Abella, S.R. Hartmann, "Observation of a Photon Echo", Physical Review Letters,13, 567 - 568 (1964)
• I. D. Abella, N. A. Kurnit, and S. R. Hartmann, "Photon Echoes", Phys. Rev. 141, 391 - 406 (1966)
• A. E, Siegman, Lasers, University Science Press, Sausalito CA, 1986
• Charles Townes. "How the Laser Happened", Oxford University Press, 1999
• J. Hecht, "The Race to Make the First Laser", Oxford University Press, 2005