Before you do anything else, please turn to the nomination form in this issue of the newsletter, select candidates for Vice-Chair and for members of the Executive Committee, and mail in your ballot. It is important both to the activities of the DLS and to the current members of the executive committee that we get a large voter turnout so that your selections represent the division. Please take time now to complete your ballot.

Our activities continue to further laser science. Student travel grants for attending the ILS-XIV Meeting in Baltimore will again be available. Our Distinguished Traveling Lecture program continues to make it possible for outstanding speakers from the division to visit predominantly undergraduate institutions. Details on these two programs may be found elsewhere in this newsletter. Our undergraduate summer research grant program was less successful than we had hoped - funds left over from this year will make it possible to support additional students next summer, so keep in mind that funding is available for juniors and seniors to do laser-related projects [see http://physics.wm.edu/~cooke/dls/p_sres.html]. Finally, nominations for the 1999 Schawlow Prize are now being evaluated. You will recall that Bill Phillips is the 1998 winner and will receive his award at the upcoming ILS meeting.

Of course, one of our major activities is sponsorship of the Interdisciplinary Laser Science Conference, held this year in Baltimore, October 5-9, in association with the Annual Meeting of the Optical Society of America. Further information and application materials can be found on page 3 in this newsletter and at http://www.osa.org/mtg_conf/annual/1998/. John Weiner is the current conference chair, Richart Slusher is the conference vice-chair, Lewis Rothberg is the program chair, and, elected at the last meeting of the Executive Committee, Margaret Murnane is the program vice-chair. They all deserve our thanks for organizing what promises to be a great meeting. We also appreciate support from the Petroleum Research Fund of the American Chemical Society for help in supporting speakers at the conference. Finally, please note that the executive committee continues to discuss a possible name change for the conference. In order to more closely identify the ILS conference with the DLS, we are considering calling the conference the Division of Laser Science conference. Please see the editorial on page 6 and let us know if you have an opinion on the proposed change.

A group consisting of Win Smith, Bill Phillips, Bob Boyd and Naomi Halas has been planning DLS activities at the centennial celebration of the APS, to take place in Atlanta next March 20-26. Both contributions to the scientific symposia and a series of exhibits are planned. Suggestions can be sent to Win Smith, winthrop@uconnvm.uconn.edu

We congratulate several of our DLS members for being awarded Fellowship in the American Physical Society. Their names and affiliations are listed on page 4. Please note that nominations for fellowship for the coming year are also now being solicited.

The DLS remains strong, both in terms of the number of our members and in terms of our programs and financial standing. The Executive Committee looks forward to working with other DLS members to strengthen laser science in the coming year.

Paul L. Houston

ILS-XIV will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center, with the OSA Annual Meeting October 4-9, 1998. This conference is the Annual Meeting of the Division of Laser Science (DLS) of the American Physical Society (APS) in cooperation with the OSA. The ILS conference series, first held in Dallas in 1985, was established to survey the core laser science areas, including lasers and their properties, nonlinear optical properties, applications of lasers in physics and chemistry, and a selection of laser applications in other areas of science and technology.

The 1998 ILS Plenary Speaker will be Philip Bucksbaum of the University of Michigan. His talk, Quantum Wavepacket Sculpting with Shaped Ultrafast Radiation, will highlight exciting new developments in using lasers to create and control the evolution of quantum wavepackets.

• Applications of Ultrafast Spectroscopy to Biological Problems

• Nonlinear Optical Phenomena in Single Molecules and Single Nanoparticles

• Nonlinear processes for ultra-short pulse generation: optical to x-rays

(Joint with OSA Optical Sciences Division)

PART 1: Generation of short pulse, short wavelength radiation

PART 2: Uses of short pulse, short wavelength radiation

• Quasi-phasematching of Nonlinear Optical Processes

• Manifestations of electron-electron correlation in strong laser fields

(Joint with OSA Optical Sciences Division)

• Microcavity physics and spectroscopy

(Joint with OSA Photonics Division)

For additional descriptions of the scheduled symposia, as well as registration and housing information, see: http://www.osa.org/mtg_conf/annual/1998/.

The March 1998 Newsletter recognized the seven new APS Fellows who had been nominated by the DLS. Several other DLS members were elected Fellows of the APS in 1997. A complete list of DLS members receiving this honor in 1997 is given below. Congratulations to all!

David W. Chandler, Sandia National Laboratory

Eric Allin Cornell, N. I. S. T.

Wolfgang Ernst, The Pennsylvania State University

Edward Eyler, University of Connecticut

Edward Fry, Texas A&M University

Philip L. Gould, University of Connecticut

Irving Philip Herman, Columbia University

Wolfgang Ketterle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ad Lagendijk, University of Amsterdam

Mary Mandich, Lucent Technologies - Bell Laboratories

Mark Raizen, University of Texas-Austin

Steven Rolston, N. I. S. T.

Steven Sibener, University of Chicago

Richard Sutherland, Science Applications International Corp.

Annick Suzor-Weiner, Universite Paris-Sud

John Thomas, Duke University

Bernard Yurke, Lucent Technologies

The Division of Laser Science (DLS) is a subunit of the American Physical Society (APS) specifically concerned with the use of lasers in science, the application of lasers in technology, and the interests of the laser community within the APS.

If you are already an APS member, check the DLS line on your APS renewal form and include the additional $6 with your dues. If you have already renewed your APS membership for the year beginning 1 July 1998, or if you are not an APS member, call the APS Membership Department at (301) 209-3280 or look up the membership information on the APS Home Page at http://aps.org./memb/membapp.html (select ASCII Text or HTML format).

The Distinguished Traveling Lecturer (DTL) program provides funds to send outstanding scientists and communicators in the areas covered by DLS to visit predominantly undergraduate colleges and universities. Visits are for two days and generally include lectures and informal meetings with students and faculty. Details about the program and the application procedure can be found at the DLS web site at http://www.physics.wm.edu/~cooke/dls/p_dtl.html

The DTLs for the 1997-1998 Academic Year are:

• Philip Bucksbaum, University of Michigan, High-Field Laser Physics
• Lee Casperson, Portland State University, Instabilities and Chaos in Lasers, Waterfalls, and Other Physical Systems
• Wolfgang Ketterle, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Atom Cooling and Trapping, Bose-Einstein Condensation, and Atom Lasers
• Geraldine Richmond, University of Oregon, Surface Non-Linear Optics
• Jagdeep Shah, Lucent Technologies Bell Laboratories, Semiconductor Quantum Optics
• Carlos Stroud, University of Rochester, Electronic Wave Packets in Atoms, Schrödinger Cat-Like States, and Fractional Dynamical Revivals

and we are looking to replace those whose terms will expire at the end of this period. In your nomination, please provide a very brief statement about the nominee's area of research and lecturing/communication skills. The nominee must be a member of DLS.

by September 15 to:

A suggestion to consider changing the name of the Interdisciplinary Laser Science Conference was presented in the March 1998 DLS Newsletter. (Full text of the In Focus article by Paul Houston and Michael Raymer can also be found on the DLS homepage.) A brief review of the history of the conference, along with some of the issues involved in the proposed name change will be presented here in order to encourage further discussion.

The ILS meeting was established in 1985 as the International Laser Science Conference with its inaugural meeting (ILS-I) held in Dallas, TX. The APS Laser Science Topical Group was also founded in 1985 and ILS-I was its first annual meeting. ILS has continued to be the annual meeting of the LSTG and DLS (APS divisional status was achieved in 1996). The conference name was changed to the Interdisciplinary Laser Science Conference in 1989 at the request of the APS. ILS has been held as a stand-alone meeting (meetings I, III, and V-VII), in cooperation with the American Vacuum Society (IV) and in cooperation with the OSA Annual Meeting (II and VIII - present). The University of Iowa, the APS, and the OSA have each contributed to the conference administration during its history.

The ILS name is well known, but unlike many conferences, does not identify the meeting with its sponsoring organization. The proposed change to The APS Division of Laser Science Conference would highlight the division's sponsorship of the meeting by clearly identifying the conference as the annual meeting of the DLS. This is particularly important in our case where the meeting is held jointly with the OSA Annual Meeting and the ILS/DLS affiliation can easily be lost or confused.

The ILS name is, however, associated with the fourteen-year history and tradition of the conference. One concern about the proposed name change is that identification of the meeting as an interdisciplinary forum may be lost. The ILS meeting attracts laser scientists working in a wide variety of research fields as is reflected in the program subcommittees (Laser Applications, Lasers in Chemistry, Lasers in Physics, Lasers in Nonlinear Ultrafast Phenomena, and Physics of Laser Sources).

The Executive Committee is soliciting your opinions and suggestions concerning the proposed name change. Please address your comments to Win Smith via email (winthrop@uconnvm.uconn.edu). The next meeting of the Executive Committee will be at ILS-XIV (October 4-9) and responses received prior to the meeting will be considered at this time.

CLEO/Europe and European Quantum Electronics Conference (EQEC), Glasgow, Scotland, Sept. 13-18, 1998.

FAX IEEE/LEOS: (908)562-8434.

ILS-XIV, INTERDISCIPLINARY LASER SCIENCE CONFERENCE ('98) and ANNUAL MEETING of APS-DLS, co-located with the OSA '98 Annual meeting, October 4-9. 1998, Baltimore, MD. Sponsored by APS-DLS in cooperation with OSA meeting. Technical meeting.

http://www.aps.org - Divisions - DLS.

OSA '98 Annual Meeting, October 4-9, 1998. Baltimore, MD, colocated with ILS-XIV. Technical meeting, tutorials, engineering "how to" program, short courses, technical exhibit (exhibit sponsored by OSA/Photonics Spectra).

http://www.osa.org/Mtg-conf

15th International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry, November 4-7, 1998, Denton, TX. Contact: Jerome L. Duggan, University of North Texas. email at Stippec@cas.unt.edu

APS Centennial, March 20-26, 1999, Atlanta, Georgia. Centennial meeting and celebration of the American Physical Society. Technical meeting, Nobel discoveries exhibit, APS-DLS and other APS unit exhibits, Nobel laureate and other special plenary talks, symposia and contributed paper sessions by all APS units.

http://www.aps.org/centennial

CLEO '99, May 23-28, 1999, Baltimore, MD. The Quantum Electronics and Laser Science (QELS) Conference is co-located with CLEO '99.

http://www.osa.org/Mtg-conf

Gordon Conference on Nonlinear Optics, 1999.

http://www.grc.uri.edu/programs

Ultrafast Optics '99, Zurich, July 11-16, 1999.

Gordon Conference on Quantum Control of Atoms and Molecules,

Plymouth, NH, August 1-6, 1999.

ILS-XV, co-located with OSA '99 Annual meeting, September 26 - October 1. 1999, Santa Clara, CA.

http://www.osa.org/Mtg-conf and http://www.aps-org - Divisions - DLS

VICE CHAIR

Marsha I. Lester, Professor of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania. NSF Postdoctoral Fellow 1981-82, Bell Laboratories; Ph.D. 1981, Columbia University; B.A. 1976, Douglass College, Rutgers University.

Research Interests: Applications of lasers to chemical dynamics problems. In particular, a variety of laser spectroscopies are used to investigate the dynamics of free radicals in encounters with reactive molecular partners of atmospheric and combustion relevance. APS Activities: Division of Chemical Physics (DCP), Executive Committee, 1989-91; Steering Committee for Laser Science Topical Group (LSTG), 1989-92; Interdisciplinary Laser Science Conference (ILS) sponsored by LSTG, Program Vice-Chair, 1993; Program Chair, 1994; Conference Vice-Chair, 1995; Conference Chair, 1996; Panel on Public Affairs, 1997-99; Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP), Executive Committee, 1996-99. Other Professional Activities: NSF Advisory Committee for Physics, 1988-91; National Research Council, Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, 1992-95, and Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications, 1996-99; Gordon Research Conference on Molecular Energy Transfer, Conference Co-Chair, 1997; DOE Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee, 1998-2001; Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Area Coordinator, International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies, 2000; Editorial Advisory Boards of Chemical Physics Letters, Molecular Physics, and Journal of Physical Chemistry. Profession Affiliations: Fellow, American Physical Society; Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Chemical Society; Association for Women in Science; Optical Society of America. Honors and Awards: Camille and Henry Dreyfus Young Faculty Award, 1982; Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, 1986; Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, 1987; NSF Career Advancement Award, 1988; Broida Prize, International Symposium on Free Radicals, 1995.

Candidate's Statement: Our community has much to celebrate with recent breakthroughs in laser science, dramatic new developments in laser technology, and exciting new applications of lasers in diverse fields. The Division of Laser Science needs to build on this excitement in its scientific, educational, and outreach activities. Toward this end, I would like to strengthen the ties between the DLS Executive Committee and the program committees for the ILS and QELS conferences. Together, we can increase the participation of younger scientists at our meetings with travel awards and programs designed specifically for this sector, including symposia on career development and employment opportunities. I will also encourage DLS to sponsor public interest lectures at our conferences for local high school students and teachers. In addition, I hope to increase the participation of the laser science community in the DLS sponsored programs by more aggressive advertising of the Student Travel Grants, Student Summer Research Grants, and Distinguished Traveling Lecturer Program. Finally, I will work to increase cooperation with other APS divisions (e.g. DAMOP, DCP) and other organizations (e.g. OSA, ACS, AAAS) to better serve the needs and concerns of the laser science community.

Anthony F. Starace, Professor of Physics, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Ph.D. 1971, The University of Chicago; A.B. Cum Laude 1966, Columbia College, New York City.

Research Interests: Photoionization and photodetachment; multiphoton processes; intense laser-atom interactions; coherent control of atomic processes; atomic processes in the presence of strong static fields; few-body dynamics; cold atom collisions. Other Scientific Activities: Vice Chair (1989-90), Chair (1990-91), Past Chair (1991-92), APS Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics; Editorial Board, Physical Review A (1993-1999); Associate Editor, Reviews of Modern Physics (1996-); Member (1993-5), Chair (1995-6), Harvard-Smithsonian Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics; Chair (1992-93), APS Task Force to Review Reviews of Modern Physics; Chair (1986-89), TAMOC; Member (1996-7), APS Task Force to Review Physical Review A; served numerous times on DAMOP Program, Nominating & Executive Committees and as a member of various NRC committees. Chair (1984-95), Dept of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Honors & Affiliations: Fellow, APS (1980-); Fellow, AAAS (1997-); Alexander von Humboldt Fellow (1979-80); Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow (1975-79).

Candidate's Statement: The field of laser science offers researchers a huge number of intrinsically interesting and challenging areas in which to work, such as, e.g., intense laser-atom interactions, time-dependent Rydberg atom spectroscopy, coherent control of atomic and molecular processes, quantum optics phenomena, etc. Workers in this field, through both the former Topical Group and now through the DLS, have been unusually proactive in spreading the word about their evident and justifiable excitement about laser science. In particular, I have long admired the initiative of the laser science community in developing a number of successful outreach programs. Given these facts, it was not a difficult decision for me to agree to run for Vice Chair of this Division. Simply put, I would welcome the opportunity to do whatever I can to further the interests of this field. In my view, the intrinsic interest of this field as well as the prospect of decent job opportunities bodes well for continuing to attract some of the best and the brightest young people to this field, thereby ensuring its future health and continued development. In addition, the interdisciplinary nature of this field, its many useful applications, and its significant ties to industry make this a model for the kind of research area that those who control the scientific purse strings in Washington, D.C., can justify to the American public as deserving of support. If elected, I would do my best to ensure that the field remains attractive to young scientists, to further ties with industry, and to broadcast the interdisciplinary aspects of the field.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

A. Welford Castleman, Jr., Evan Pugh Professor of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University. Ph.D., 1969, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (now Polytechnic University).

Research Interests: Laser photochemistry and photophysics of molecular clusters; investigations of their bonding, reactivity, and properties; dissociation and ionization dynamics using ultrafast laser techniques. Abbreviated Summary of Professional Activities: Senior Editor, Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1988-1998; Coeditor and Member Editorial Board, Zeitschrift für Physik D, 1987-1992; Member, Advisory Editorial Boards of: Chemical Physics Letters, 1995-present; Advances in Chemical Physics, 1993-present; Research Trends, 1991-present; Journal of Cluster Science, 1990-present; International Journal of Mass Spectrometry and Ion Processes, 1987-1990; Understanding Chemical Reactivity, 1986-present; The Journal of Chemical Physics, 1985-1987; The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 1985-1988; Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry, 1982-1994; Ninth International Symposium on Small Particles and Inorganic Clusters (ISSPIC 9), 1997/1998; Ninth International Conference on High Temperature Materials Chemistry, 1997; Co-Organizer and Chairman of Cluster Symposia, American Physical Society, 1997; American Physical Society, 1996; International Advisory Board, ISSPIC 8, 1995/1996; Eighth International Symposium on Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy and Its Applications, 1996; Clusters Symposium, 70th Colloid and Surfaces Science Symposium, 1996; Co-Organized and Chairman, Cluster Symposium, International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies, 1995; International Advisory Board for the International Symposium on the Science of Atomically Engineered Materials, Richmond, VA, 1994/1995; Organized the US/JAPAN Cluster Symposium, Hawaii, 1994; Organizing Committee, Gordon Conference on Molecular and Ionic Clusters, 1991/1992; International Advisory Board and Organizing Committee, ISSPIC 6, 1991/1992; Co-Organizer, East Coast Symposium on Clusters, Johns Hopkins University, 1991; Conference Organizer and Chairman of first Gordon Conference held in Europe, Volterre, Italy, 1990; International Advisory Board, ISSPIC 5, 1990; Co-Symposium Organizer at Pacifichem, 1989; Advisory Committees: Member of Steering Committee (Nanophase Structures), National Research Council, 1997; Member of the Division of Chemical Physics Nominating Committee, The American Physical Society (Vice Chair, 1994, Chairman, 1995); Member of Nanotechnology Panel, Army Research Office Physics Division, 1994; Member of the DOE Scientific Advisory Committees, 1997, 1994, 1991; American Physical Society National Awards Committee (Plyler Prize), 1991/1992; Member of Review Panel, Alexander Hollaender Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Selection Committee, 1991; Advisory Committee, Chemical Physics Programs, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Chairman 1990), 1987-1990; CHEMRAWN IV, 1987; Elected Member at Large, Topical Group on Lasers, The American Physical Society, 1985-1987. Honors, Awards, and Memberships: National Academy of Sciences, 1998; American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1998; Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1998; Fulbright Senior Scholar Award, 1989; Recipient of the ACS Award for Creative Advances in Environ. Sci. & Tech., 1988; Doktors Honoris Causa, University of Innsbruck, Austria, 1987; Named Evan Pugh Prof. of Chem, Penn State University, 1986; U.S. Senior Scientist von Humboldt Award, 1986. Memberships: Sigma Xi, Phi Lambda Upsilon; American Physical Society (Fellow); American Chemical Society; American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (Fellow); American Geophysical Union; American Association for Aerosol Research; New York Academy of Sciences (Fellow).

Randall G. Hulet, Professor of Physics, Rice University. Ph.D. 1984, MIT; B.S. 1978, Stanford University.

Research Interests: Laser cooling and atom trapping; photoassociative spectroscopy; degenerate quantum gases, including Bose-Einstein condensation. Professional Activities: National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associate, NIST, Boulder, 1985-87; Visiting Professor, University of Paris, 1996; Co-editor of "Experimental Methods in the Physical Sciences", vols. 29A-C, 1994-97; Member, Reviews of Scientific Instruments Editorial Board, 1996-99; Chair, Laser Cooling and Trapping Sub-Committee of QELS 1997; Member, Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics (DAMOP) Program Committee, 1997-99; Member, DAMOP Executive Committee, 1998-2001; APS I.I. Rabi Prize, 1995; Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, 1988; NSF Presidential Young Investigators Award, 1989-94; Member, Optical Society of America; Fellow, American Physical Society; Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Mark A. Johnson, Professor of Chemistry, Yale University. Ph.D. in Chemistry, Stanford University, 1983; B.S. in Chemistry, U.C. Berkeley, 1977; Post-doctoral associate, J.I.L.A., 1983-1985;

Research interests: Spectroscopy, structure, and ultrafast reaction dynamics of molecular clusters; author of over 70 scientific publications. Awards and Other Scientific Activities: 1987, NSF Presidential Young Investigator; 1990, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award; 1992-1995, Executive Committee, ACS Division of Physical Chemistry; 1993, Chair for Yale Symposium on Recent Developments in Photoionization; 1994, Award committee for ACS Division of Physical Chemistry; 1993, Review panel for DOE combustion program; 1994, ACS Symposium Chair, "Reactions in Clusters and the Condensed Phase," San Diego National Meeting; 1994, Vice-chair, Gordon Conference on Molecular and Ionic Clusters; 1994 Invited Professor, University de Paris-Sud (Orsay); 1995, Guest editor, J. Phys. Chem. Festschrift honoring William Chupka; 1996, Chair, Gordon Conference on Molecular and Ionic Clusters; 1997, Invited Lecturer by Chemical Society of Brazil (Sao Paulo, Rio de Janero); 1997, Organizing committee for Symposium on the structure and and dynamics of clusters, Nikko, Japan; 1998, Symposium chair, SPIE meeting on Photoionization in Intense Fields; 1999, ACS Symposium co-Chair, "Water in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology," New Orleans National meeting; 1999, Vice-chair, Gordon conference on Photoions; 1999, Invited Professor, Universite de Paris-Nord; Member, American Physical Society and American Chemical Society.

Linda Young, Physicist, Argonne National Laboratory. Ph.D. 1981, University of California, Berkeley; S.B. 1976, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Research Interests: precision laser and radiofrequency spectroscopy of atoms and molecules, x-ray AMO physics, optical pumping and nuclear polarization. Other scientific activities: Associate Editor, Applied Physics Letters 1989-present; Executive Committee of Precision Measurements and Fundamental Constants Topical Group (PMFCTG) (1996-99); Vice-Chair F. M. Pipkin Prize Committee (1998); Chair nominating committee PMFCTG (1998); Member Program Committees: IQEC (1994), DAMOP (1988-90); Local Organizing Committees: International Conference on X-ray and Inner Shell Processes (1998), Symposium on Atomic Physics with Hard X-rays from High Brilliance Synchrotron Light Sources (1996), DAMOP (1992), Symposium on Spectroscopy of Highly Charged Ions (1987); Member Selection Committee for Swedish NFR Fellowship in Atomic Physics (1997). Honors, positions and memberships: Member of NRC CAMOS Committee (1996-99); JILA Visiting Fellow (1992-93); Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago (1981-83); Member APS, DAMOP, PMFCTG, DLS, Association for Women in Science.