Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland.
Strong and colorful lasers are often featured in various performances. Lasers are also used as toys, which are often blamed for disturbing flights. In fact, lasers have many more applications than that, such as moving tiny particles or cutting material
Sinar laser yang kuat dan berwarna-warni sering ditampilkan pada berbagai pertunjukan. Laser juga banyak digunakan sebagai mainan yang sering dikeluhkan mengganggu penerbangan. Nyatanya, manfaat laser jauh lebih besar dari itu. Laser sudah mampu mewujudkan sebagian mimpi manusia untuk bisa memindahkan atau memotong benda dengan cahaya.
The voice of Arthur Ashkin, 96, was flat when the committee of the Nobel Prize in Physics called and congratulated him on his achievement. He was not overjoyed, although he was surprised to receive a phone call from Sweden on Tuesday (2/10/2018) at 5 a.m. in New Jersey, the United States.
Nada suara Arthur Ashkin (96) datar saat panitia pengumuman Hadiah Nobel Fisika 2018 meneleponnya dan menyampaikan selamat atas capaiannya. Tak ada ekspresi berlebih meski ia sempat terkejut saat ada telepon dari Swedia pada Selasa (2/10/2018) pukul 5 pagi waktu New Jersey, Amerika Serikat.
“I am very old already and had given up worrying about things like Nobel Prizes,” he told The Associated Press. He did expect the most prestigious science award a few years ago but eventually gave up. “Of course, I am proud,” he said.
“Aku sudah sangat tua dan sudah menyerah untuk mengharapkan segala sesuatu, termasuk Hadiah Nobel,” katanya kepada The Associated Press. Ia memang sempat mengharap penghargaan sains paling prestisius itu beberapa tahun lalu hingga akhirnya kemenangan itu datang saat ia sudah merelakannya. “Tentu saya bangga,” tambahnya
The Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences on Tuesday in Solna, near Stockholm, announced Ashkin, 96, along with Gérard Mourou, 74, of France and Donna Strickland, 59, from Canada the winners of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics. The award was given for their innovation in lasers
Akademi Ilmu Pengetahuan Kerajaan Swedia, Selasa siang di Solna, dekat Stockholm, mengumumkan Ashkin (96) bersama Gérard Mourou (74) dari Perancis dan Donna Strickland (59) dari Kanada menjadi pemenang Hadiah Nobel Fisika 2018. Anugerah diberikan atas temuan inovatif mereka di bidang fisika laser
The three of them are entitled to a prize of nine million krona (Rp 15 billion). Half of the prize will go to Ashkin and the other half for Mourou and Strickland.
Mereka bertiga berhak atas hadiah sebesar 9 juta krona atau sekitar Rp 15 miliar. Separuh hadiah untuk Ashkin dan separuh sisanya dibagi rata antara Mourou dan Strickland
Eldest
Ashkin is now the eldest Nobel laureate. The prize is awarded for his invention of optical tweezers, an instrument that uses lasers to manipulate particles, single atoms, viruses and other living cells. He came up with the invention when he was working at Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, the US, from 1952-1991.
Tertua
Ashkin kini jadi pemegang rekor penerima Nobel tertua. Anugerah itu diberikan atas temuannya tentang pinset optik, yaitu sinar laser yang direkayasa hingga mampu mengambil partikel, atom, virus dan sel hidup lainnya. Temuan itu ia hasilkan saat masih bekerja di Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, AS pada 1952-1991.
But when the Nobel committee asked him to comment on being the oldest Nobel laureate, Ashkin just laughed and did not feel like the oldest Nobel laureate. For him, research is only research, which anyone can do regardless of age.
Namun, saat panitia Nobel menanyakannya tentang rekor penerima Nobel tertua itu, Ashkin hanya tertawa dan tidak merasa sebagai peraih Nobel tertua. Baginya, riset hanyalah riset, yang bisa dilakukan siapa saja tanpa kenal usia.
At nearly a century old, Ashkin is still researching and reading various scientific journals. At present, he is researching solar energy at his home. He does this research as a hobby.
Di usianya yang menjelang satu abad, Ashkin masih meneliti dan membaca berbagai jurnal ilmiah. Saat ini, ia sedang meneliti energi Matahari di rumahnya. Riset itu dia lakukan sekedar sebagai hobi
“I say to my wife, this [the research] is the only thing that I have mastered,” he said.
“Aku katakan kepada istriku, hanya inilah (riset) satu-satunya hal yang sangat aku kuasai,” katanya.
Ashkin examined the use of laser light (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) in the 1960s, just after the laser beam was discovered. At that time, he dreamed, light could be used to move things, including asteroids, like in the science fiction film Star Trek.
Ashkin meneliti pemanfaatan sinar laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) pada 1960-an, sesaat setelah sinar laser ditemukan. Saat itu, ia bermimpi, cahaya bisa digunakan untuk memindahkan benda, termasuk asteroid, seperti di film fiksi ilmiah Star Trek.
When he proposed his idea to move living things with light to his colleagues, they considered the idea to be redundant.
Saat ia menyampaikan idenya untuk memindahkan makhluk hidup dengan cahaya kepada rekan-rekannya, mereka menganggapnya berlebihan.
It was this response that drove him until 1987, when he made a breakthrough by capturing live bacteria using optical tweezers without damaging them. Now, the technique is being used in many laboratories to investigate biological systems and machines, ranging from proteins, molecular propulsion systems, deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) to systems in cells
Tanggapan itulah yang justru melecutnya hingga pada 1987, dia mampu melakukan terobosan baru dengan menangkap bakteri hidup menggunakan pinset optik tanpa melukainya. Kini, teknik itu dimanfaatkan di banyak laboratorium untuk menyelidiki sistem dan mesin biologi, mulai dari protein, sistem penggerak molekul, asam deoksiribonukleat (DNA), hingga sistem di dalam sel.
The technique of making high-intensity and ultra-short laser beams is called chirped pulse amplification (CPA). “With this technique, the laser beam produced can have a power of up to 1 million-1 billion times than before,” said Mourou, who currently teaches at the École Polytechnique (Polytechnic School) in Palaiseau, south of Paris, France, and professor emeritus of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, the US.
Teknik pembuatan sinar laser intensitas tinggi dan ultrapendek itu disebut chirped pulse amplification (CPA). “Dengan teknik ini, sinar laser yang dihasilkan mampu memiliki kekuatan hingga 1 juta-1 miliar kali dibanding sebelumnya,” kata Mourou yang hingga kini masih mengajar di École Polytechnique (Sekolah Politeknik) di Palaiseau, selatan Paris, Perancis dan profesor emeritus Universitas Michigan, Ann Arbor, AS.
With that great power, the use of lasers has become more widespread. Now, lasers are widely used in the fields of medicine, information technology, industry and the military.
Dengan kekuatan yang besar itu, pemanfaatan laser pun menjadi makin luas. Kini, laser banyak digunakan di bidang medis, teknologi informasi, industri hingga militer.
The medical uses of lasers range from circumcision in men to cornea repair surgery through lasik surgery (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) for those who experience visual impairment. In industry, lasers are used to cut, drill and perforate various materials ranging from paper to steel with high precision
Tindakan medis yang memanfaatkan laser pun beragam, mulai dari khitan pada laki-laki hingga operasi perbaikan kornea mata melalui operasi lasik (laser assisted in-situ keratomileusis) bagi mereka yang mengalami gangguan penglihatan. Di industri, laser digunakan untuk memotong, mengebor hingga melubangi berbagai material mulai dari kertas hingga baja dengan ketepatan tinggi.
“I am very happy to share the award with my former student, Donna Strickland, as well as someone I respect very much, Arthur Ashkin,” he said.
“Aku sangat senang berbagi hadiah dengan mantan muridku Donna Strickland, juga orang yang sangat aku hormati, Arthur Ashkin,” ujarnya.
Mourou is currently involved in a number of European projects, Extreme Light Infrastructure, which is expected to produce the strongest laser beam in the world. If successful, the laser is expected to help deal with a variety of other human problems, ranging from handling nuclear waste and treating tumors, to cleaning up space junk.
Mourou saat ini tengah bergabung di proyek sejumlah negara Eropa, Extreme Light Infrastructure, yang diharapkan akan menghasilkan sinar laser terkuat di dunia. Jika berhasil, laser itu diharapkan bisa membantu menangani berbagai masalah manusia lain, mulai dari penanganan limbah nuklir, mengobati tumor hingga membersihkan sampah antariksa.
However, all of that must be done step by step. In research, he continued, there was no instant “Eureka!”
Namun semua itu harus dilakukan setahap demi setahap. Dalam riset, lanjutnya, tidak ada “Eureka!” yang instan.
Woman
Strickland, who is now a lecturer at the University of Waterloo, Canada, admitted to being surprised to receive the award. TheNobel Prize, especially in Physics, is something that is difficult for women to achieve, which raises the issue of gender bias and misogyny every year each time the award is announced.
Perempuan
Secara terpisah, Strickland yang kini jadi dosen di Universitas Waterloo, Kanada mengaku terkejut atas anugerah tersebut. Hadiah Nobel, khususnya Fisika, jadi suatu hal yang sulit dijangkau perempuan hingga menimbulkan isu bias gender dan misogini setiap penganugerahannya.
In the 112 times the Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded since 1901, the awarding ceremony having been halted several times during World War I and II, 210 scientists have received it. However, among the recipients, there are only three female physicists, or 1.4 percent.
Selama 112 kali penyelenggaraan Hadiah Nobel Fisika sejak tahun 1901, penganugerahan Nobel ditiadakan beberapa kali selama Perang Dunia I dan II, sudah 210 ilmuwan yang menerimanya. Namun, di antara penerima itu, hanya tiga orang fisikawan perempuan atau 1,4 persen yang pernah menerimanya
Strickland became the third female Nobel laureate in physics. The previous female recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics were Marie Curie in 1903 and Maria Goeppert-Mayer in 1963.
Strickland jadi perempuan ketiga penerima Nobel Fisika. Perempuan penerima Nobel Fisika sebelumnya adalah Marie Curie pada 1903 dan Maria Goeppert-Mayer pada 1963.
The Nobel Prize in Physics was also never in Strickland’s dream. For her, she only tried to be the best in everything she did, including when she was a student of the doctoral program that earned her this award. However, finally, all of it was sweet and nothing was in vain.
Nobel Fisika itu juga tidak pernah ada dalam bayangan Strickland. Baginya, ia hanya berusaha menjadi yang terbaik di setiap usaha yang dilakukannya, termasuk saat menjadi mahasiswa program doktoral yang membawanya pada anugerah ini. Namun akhirnya, semua itu berbuah manis dan tidak ada yang sia-sia.
“We need to celebrate because real female physicists are out there. “I feel honored to be one of the women [winning the Nobel Prize in Physics],” he said
“Kita perlu merayakannya karena fisikawan perempuan nyata ada di luar sana. Saya merasa terhormat jadi salah satu dari perempuan (peraih Nobel Fisika) tersebut,” ujarnya.
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Arthur Ashkin
Born: New York, US, Sept. 2, 1922 Doctoral education: Cornell University, Ithaca, US, 1952 Institution: Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, US
Gérard Mourou
Born: Albertville, France, June 22, 1944
Doctoral: Pierre and Marie Curie University, 1973 Institution: École Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, US
Donna Strickland
Born: Guelph, Canada, 1959 Doctoral: University of Rochester, US, 1989 Institution: University of Waterloo, Canada
Arthur Ashkin
Lahir : New York, AS, 2 September 1922
Pendidikan Doktoral : Universitas Cornell, Ithaca, AS 1952
Institusi : Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, AS
Gérard Mourou
Lahir : Albertville, Perancis, 22 Juni 1944
Pendidikan Doktoral : Universitas Pierre and Marie Curie, 1973
Institusi : École Polytechnique, Palaiseau, Perancis
dan Universitas Michigan, Ann Arbor, AS
Donna Strickland
Lahir : Guelph, Kanada, 1959
Pendidikan Doktoral : Universitas Rochester, AS, 1989
Institusi : Universitas Waterloo, Kanada
Referensi: M Zaid Wahyudi, Kompas, 4 Oktober 2018