Allan Ian Carswell, CM, FRSC (born 1933) is a physicist and researcher in the field of laser radar (

lidar Lidar (, also LIDAR, or LiDAR; sometimes LADAR) is a method for determining ranges (variable distance) by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. It can also be ...

) applications. Carswell has been actively engaged in the study of the properties and applications of

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

s and coherent optical frequency radiation since 1963. He was a member of the Plasma Physics Laboratory at the RCA Victor Research Laboratories in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, studying

electromagnetic wave In physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) consists of waves of the electromagnetic (EM) field, which propagate through space and carry momentum and electromagnetic radiant energy. It includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, (visib ...

s with

ionized gas Plasma ()πλάσμα
, Henry George Liddell, R ...

systems. In 1965, Carswell was appointed Director of the RCA Optical and Microwave Research Laboratory, and led the group there that developed the first laser in Canada and the first Canadian commercial HeNe laser. Carswell was a Professor of Physics at

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada's

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

, where he conducted laser research. His work included the investigation of the properties and applications of high-power ,

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

and

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...

lasers, and the application of laser scattering techniques for

remote sensing Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring information about Earth ...

and environmental diagnostics. In 1974, Carswell founded Optech and led the company from its inception. He became Chairman of the Board of Optech in 2000. Carswell founded Optech to develop the more practical applications of lidar systems, and the company has since grown to become a world leader in laser ranging applications. Optech now has over 200

employee Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any other ...

s and conducts 90% of its business internationally. Carswell is a co-investigator on the Phoenix Mars Mission, launched in 2007, which will use lidar to measure dust particles in the air on Mars. Carswell was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...

in 1984. In 2006 Carswell was honoured with the John H. Chapman Award of Excellence by the

Canadian Space Agency The Canadian Space Agency (CSA; french: Agence spatiale canadienne, ASC) is the national space agency of Canada, established in 1990 by the ''Canadian Space Agency Act''. The president is Lisa Campbell, who took the position on September 3, 2020 ...

(CSA) for his significant achievements and lifelong dedication to space science and development in Canada. Dr. Carswell became a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

in 2005. Carswell continues to actively participate in both Optech and the development of lidar technologies. The Allan I. Carswell Observatory is named after him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carswell, Allan 1933 births Living people Canadian physicists Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Members of the Order of Canada Academic staff of York University Presidents of the Canadian Association of Physicists