Wilson Sibbett

Abstract Wilson Sibbett was internationally recognized for his groundbreaking work in ultrafast laser science, in the generation of novel picosecond and femtosecond pulse sources, their application and for the development of pulse measurement techniques allowing direct, real-time recording of pulses with sub-picosecond resolution. He was particularly noted for his discovery of the technique of Kerr-lens mode-locking that revolutionized femtosecond pulse generation in solid-state lasers, which was widely applied and was an enormous commercial success as well as underpinning source technology that supported several Nobel Prize winning concepts. He was Scotland's first chief advisor on science and left a living legacy to his science, influence and talent by playing a key role in establishing Scottish universities and commercial companies as leaders in photonics technology and research.