Arthur Ashkin was a pioneering physicist renowned for his transformative contributions to laser optics research. Born on September 2, 1922, in Brooklyn, New York, to Eastern European Jewish immigrants, he demonstrated an early fascination with scientific phenomena including the Crookes radiometer. Arthur Ashkin received a bachelor's degree in physics from Columbia University in 1947, following service in the Army where he worked at the Columbia Radiation Laboratory on magnetrons from 1942 to 1945. After completing his Ph.D. in nuclear physics at Cornell University in 1952, he joined Bell Laboratories, where he would spend his entire professional career until his retirement in 1992.
Ashkin's most significant contribution emerged from his decades-long investigation into the radiation pressure of light, which he discovered could be harnessed to manipulate microscopic particles. Beginning in the late 1960s, he pioneered techniques using laser beams to trap and move small transparent beads, leading to his groundbreaking invention of optical tweezers in 1986. His seminal work demonstrated how a single, highly focused laser beam could capture and manipulate particles ranging from atoms to living bacteria without damaging them, opening unprecedented possibilities for biological research. This innovation provided scientists with laser beam fingers to grasp and study microscopic objects with extraordinary precision, enabling detailed observation of cellular machinery and molecular processes. The profound impact of his work was ultimately recognized with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018, awarded specifically for his development of optical tweezers.
Throughout his career, Ashkin held 47 patents and established himself as the undisputed father of optical tweezing technology, which has become an indispensable tool across diverse scientific disciplines. His optical tweezers methodology revolutionized biophysics by allowing researchers to measure forces at the molecular level, study cellular processes in living organisms, and manipulate microscopic objects with unparalleled precision. Awarded the Nobel Prize at age 96, Ashkin remains the second oldest Nobel laureate in history, surpassed only by John B. Goodenough in 2019. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2013, cementing his status as one of the most influential innovators of the twentieth century. Ashkin continued his scientific pursuits at his home in Rumson, New Jersey, until his death on September 21, 2020, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape research in physics, biology, and medicine worldwide.
