In memoriam. Juris Upatnieks (7 May 1936–17 May 2026)
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In memoriam. Juris Upatnieks (7 May 1936–17 May 2026)
Photo https://www.optica.org/history/biographies/bios/juris_upatnieks/
On May 17, 2026, the outstanding physicist of Latvian origin, the founder of holography, and a foreign member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Professor Juris Upatnieks, passed away. He was one of the most significant optical scientists of the 20th century, whose works have significantly influenced the development of modern physical optics and coherent optics.
In 1964, Juris Upatnieks and Emmet N. Leith demonstrated the first high-quality laser holograms, which were obtained using the method of separate two-beam recording they developed. This caused a huge resonance in the world scientific community, and actually began the modern era of holography. Their works became the basis for many later developed holographic technologies.
For their contribution to holography, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physics together with Dennis Gabor, Emmet N. Leith, and Yuri Denisyuk.
Professor Juris Upatnieks' scientific activities were not limited to fundamental research. He held dozens of patents in holography and coherent optics, including holographic sights and optical imaging systems. His inventions are used in both civilian technologies and high-precision industrial and defense systems.
Juris Upatnieks' outstanding contribution was recognized with many international awards. In 1965, the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) awarded him the Robert Gordon Award. In 1967, the American Association of Magazine Photographers awarded him the Technical Award. In 1975, he received the Robert W. Wood Prize of the Optical Society of America. In 1976, Juris Upatnieks was awarded the Holley Medal and recognized as the US Inventor of the Year. In 1999, he was awarded the Grand Medal of the Latvian Academy of Sciences for the development of the basic principles of optical holography and the development of its application in the world, as well as in 2007, the Walter Zapp Award, awarded by the LAS and the Patent Office of the Republic of Latvia. In 2010, Juris Upatnieks was awarded the Emmet N. Leith Medal.
Despite living and working in the United States of America, Professor Juris Upatnieks always maintained close ties with Latvia and the Latvian scientific community. He traveled to his home in Roja every summer. He actively supported the development of Latvian science by visiting Riga Ttechnical University laboratories and giving lectures at the Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy of the University of Latvia, sharing his experience with young researchers.
With his work, Juris Upatnieks has brought Latvia's name to the world of science. For the Latvian Academy of Sciences and its Department of Physics and Technical Sciences, Professor Juris Upatnieks was not only an outstanding scientist, but also an inspiring personality, confirming that the contribution of Latvian scientists is significant on a global scale.
The Latvian Academy of Sciences expresses its deepest condolences to the family, relatives, colleagues of Juris Upatnieks and the entire world scientific community for this loss. The name of the foreign member of the LAS, Juris Upatnieks, as the founder of holography and one of the most outstanding Latvian physicists, will remain inscribed in the history of world science.
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