Class of 1951
Optical Communications Specialist
1925-2003

Hermann Haus became one of the world’s foremost authorities on optical communications. A native of Slovenia, he earned degrees at Union College, Rensselaer, and MIT before joining the faculty at MIT, where he was a leader in research and teaching for nearly a half-century.

His trailblazing work in quantum optics ranged from fundamental investigations of quantum uncertainty as manifested in optical communications to the practical generation of ultra-short optical pulses. Ultra-short laser pulses find applications in eye surgery, medical imaging, and precision clocks, as well as in ultrafast instrumentation and fiber-optic communications.

The fiber-optic undersea cables that provide rapid voice and data communications among the U.S., Europe, and Asia are the result of the pioneering investigations of Haus and fellow researchers at AT&T Bell Laboratories and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Research Laboratories.

A member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences, among many other honors, Haus was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1995.