Allan Rosencwaig

Allan Rosencwaig, an American physicist born around 1942 in Poland, is a notable figure in the field of photoacoustics and thermal-wave physics and the founder of Therma-Wave Inc.

Education and early career
Rosencwaig completed a B.Sc. in Engineering-Physics (1963), an M.A. in Molecular Physics (1965), and a Ph.D. in Solid State Physics (1969) at the University of Toronto.

He later spent seven years Bell Laboratories, where he studied sound echoes created by light waves, a field known as photoacoustics. He left Bell Labs in 1976 and joined the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California.

Career in business
In 1982, Rosencwaig founding Therma-Wave Inc., a company that focuses on the development and application of thermal wave technology. His work in the development of photoacoustics for solid-state spectroscopy and in the development of thermal-wave physics was recognized in 1983 when he was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society.

Rosencwaig has authored over 110 research and review articles in the field of photoacoustic spectroscopy and more than 40 articles in other research areas. Rosencwaig is also the author of the book Photoacoustics and Photoacoustic Spectroscopy, further contributing to the academic and practical understanding of the field.

Throughout his career, Rosencwaig has received numerous accolades, including the Victor G. Macres Award in 1980 and the IPPA Prize in 2002, celebrating his groundbreaking work and enduring impact in physics.

Rosencwaig retired as chairman and chief technical officer of Therma-Wave Inc in 2001 or 2002.