Two Lab physicists named SPIE senior members

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) Wren Carr and Peter DeVore have been elected as senior members of SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.

SPIE bestows the senior member designation on individuals who have distinguished themselves through their professional experience and their active involvement within both the optics community and SPIE. Carr and DeVore are among 89 new senior members of the society this year.

Wren Carr

Carr is the science and technology group leader for National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser-induced damage and mitigation science.

“I feel honored to be recognized by SPIE for my leadership role in the SPIE Laser-Induced Damage Symposium, my technical contributions to the field of laser-induced damage and my fusion-enabling work on NIF,” he said. “It has been among the greatest pleasures of my life to work with, learn from and occasionally teach the many talented people in the laser-induced damage community both here at LLNL and those I have met though SPIE.”

Carr has been at LLNL for nearly 25 years, starting as a graduate student in the University of California, Davis applied physics program. Early in his career, he published several seminal papers on laser-induced damage, including 2003 and 2004 Physical Review Letters publications that have each been cited more than 300 times.

As his career progressed into technical leadership, he continued his prolific research and development. His 125 publications have yielded more than 2,700 citations over the years. In 2017, he was a key contributor for an R&D100 award finalist for the laser damage-resistant Anti-Reflection Grating Debris Shield (ARGDS).

Throughout his career, Carr has regularly mentored students. Seven student interns he has mentored have become full-time staff at LLNL. He also has been a regular contributor to SPIE: in 2015, he was honored as the plenary speaker for the SPIE Pacific Rim Damage Symposium. Furthermore, he has served as session chair since 2012 and has co-chaired the SPIE Laser-Induced Damage Symposium since 2018. He is this year’s organizing host for SPIE Laser-Induced Damage Symposium tours of NIF.

Peter DeVore

DeVore is the chief scientist for the RF Photonics group.

“I am very grateful to receive this award,” he said. “It is truly evidence of the diligent effort of colleagues, mentors, and institutions that have helped me grow professionally and personally. My advisor and colleagues from graduate school, the LLNL RF Photonics group, and other colleagues at LLNL have been key sources of learning and experience.”

DeVore began his career with LLNL in 2014. A strong technical contributor with many innovations, as well as a successful leader, his efforts have impacted two key technology areas: RF photonics for the generation and detection of high-fidelity signals with high dynamic range, as well as next generation high-speed, high-fidelity pulse shaping for controlling and optimizing laser-based fusion reactions.

As chief scientist for the RF Photonics Group, he guides the technical direction of a portfolio of technologies bridging the gap between high-speed electronics and optical fiber/waveguide systems. DeVore also led the development of the modulator chassis at the heart of the next-generation high-fidelity pulse shaping (HiFiPS) system. When fully deployed and commissioned later this year, HiFiPS will control the 48 tailored pulse profiles on the front end of the NIF high-energy laser system with unprecedented precision, stability and repeatability.

DeVore has many peer-reviewed publications and conferences and patents (seven issued, nine pending). He is active at attending conferences, delivering talks, refereeing papers and mentoring interns and junior engineers. His long history with SPIE includes founding a SPIE student chapter at UCLA and serving as its vice president and then president, receiving a SPIE Photonics Europe Travel Grant and organizing outreach events to inspire younger students in photonics.

“SPIE provides an invaluable community for optics professionals to network and share information, including their journals, conferences, as well as support for student chapters and outreach programs. My time as a member of SPIE has helped me grow my network, gain invaluable experiences, and have a broader understanding of the greater optics community,” he said.

To see the list of 2023 SPIE senior members, click here.