Joseph Nilsen, PhD
1977 Hertz Fellow

At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Joseph Nilsen has spent the last three decades designing X-ray lasers, published more than 250 papers, and holds three X-ray laser patents. His work has resulted in the demonstration of the world’s shortest wavelength, highest energy experimentally demonstrated laser.
Dr. Nilsen has a BS in engineering physics from Cornell University and a PhD in physics from the California Institute of Technology where he was a Hertz Fellow. His thesis is titled, Phase Conjugation via Four Wave in a Resonant Medium, and was advised under the supervision of Professor Amnon Yariv. Dr. Nilsen is a fellow of the Optical Society of America and a fellow of the American Physical Society.
Graduate Studies
California Institute of Technology
Physics
Phase Conjugation Via Four-Wave Mixing in a Resonant Medium
Undergraduate Studies
Cornell University