Charles Kao
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Sir Charles Kao Kuen Charles K. Kao was elected in 1990
as a member of National Academy of Engineering in Electronics, Communication & Information Systems Engineering for pioneering and sustained accomplishments towards the theoretical and practical realization of
fiber-optic communication Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of infrared light through an optical fiber. The light is a form of carrier wave that is modulated to carry information. Fiber is pref ...
systems.
(November 4, 1933 – September 23, 2018) was an
electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
and
physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate caus ...
who pioneered the development and use of
fiber optics An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means to ...
in telecommunications. In the 1960s, Kao created various methods to combine glass fibers with
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 in order to transmit digital data, which laid the groundwork for the evolution of the
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
. Kao was born in Shanghai; his family moved to
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
when he was about 15. He grew up in
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
and Hong Kong before moving to London to study electrical engineering. In the 1960s, Kao worked at
Standard Telecommunication Laboratories Standard Telecommunication Laboratories was the UK research centre for Standard Telephones and Cables (STC). Initially based in Enfield, North London, and moved to Harlow Essex in 1959. STC was a subsidiary of ITT. Notable Achievements It is now ...
, the research center of Standard Telephones and Cables (STC) in
Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...
, and it was here in 1966 that he laid the groundwork for fiber optics in communication. Known as the "godfather of broadband", the "father of fiber optics", and the "father of fiber optic communications", he continued his work in Hong Kong at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and in the United States at
ITT ITT may refer to: Communication * Infantry-Tank Telephone, a device allowing infantrymen to speak to the occupants of armoured vehicles. Mathematics *Intuitionistic type theory, other name of Martin-Löf Type Theory *Intensional type theory B ...
(the parent corporation for STC) and
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
. Kao was awarded the 2009
Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
for "groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication". In 2010, he was knighted by Queen
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
for “services to fiber optic communications”. A permanent resident of Hong Kong, Kao was a citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States.


Early life and education

Charles Kao was born in
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
in 1933, at that time a separate administrative area. He studied
Chinese classics Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...
at home with his brother, under a tutor. He also studied English and French at the Shanghai World School () in the Shanghai French Concession that was founded by a number of progressive Chinese educators, including Cai Yuanpei. Kao's family moved to
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
and then
British Hong Kong Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the Briti ...
in 1948 where he completed his secondary education (Hong Kong School Certificate Examination, a predecessor of HKCEE) at St. Joseph's College in 1952. He did his undergraduate studies in
electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
at Woolwich Polytechnic (now the
University of Greenwich The University of Greenwich is a public university located in London and Kent, United Kingdom. Previous names include Woolwich Polytechnic and Thames Polytechnic. The university's main campus is at the Old Royal Naval College, which along with it ...
), obtaining his Bachelor of Engineering degree. He then pursued research and received his
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
in
electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...
in 1965 from
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
, under Professor
Harold Barlow Harold Everard Monteagle Barlow FRS (15 November 1899 – 20 April 1989) was a British engineer. He was born in Islington, London, the son of Leonard Barlow, an electrical engineer. He entered University College, London where, apart from ...
of University College London as an external student while working at
Standard Telecommunication Laboratories Standard Telecommunication Laboratories was the UK research centre for Standard Telephones and Cables (STC). Initially based in Enfield, North London, and moved to Harlow Essex in 1959. STC was a subsidiary of ITT. Notable Achievements It is now ...
(STL) in
Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...
, England, the research center of Standard Telephones and Cables.


Ancestry and family

Kao's father () was a lawyer who obtained his
Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
from the University of Michigan Law School in 1925. He was a professor at Soochow University (then in Shanghai) Comparative Law School of China. His grandfather Kao Hsieh was a scholar, poet, artist, and a leading figure of the
South Society The South Society (sometimes translated as ''Southern Society'' or ''Nan Society'') (Chinese: 南社, Pinyin: Nán Shè), was the largest literature and poetry organization during the late Qing dynasty China and the early period of Republican China ...
during the late
Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
. Several writers including Kao Hsü, (), and () were also Kao's close relatives. His father's cousin was astronomer
Kao Ping-tse Kao Ping-tse (; 23 December 1888 – 23 March 1970) was a Chinese astronomer. He was entirely self-taught in this field. The crater Kao on the Moon is named in his honor. Kao was born in Shanghai. His father was a revolutionary, a Jǔrén 舉 ...
( Kao crater is named after him). Kao's younger brother Timothy Wu Kao () is a civil engineer and Professor Emeritus at the
Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
. His research is in
hydrodynamics In physics and engineering, fluid dynamics is a subdiscipline of fluid mechanics that describes the flow of fluids—liquids and gases. It has several subdisciplines, including ''aerodynamics'' (the study of air and other gases in motion) and ...
. Kao met his future wife Gwen May-Wan Kao (née
Wong Wong may refer to: Name * Wong (surname), a Chinese surname Places * Wong Chuk Hang, an area to the east of Aberdeen on Hong Kong Island * Wong Chuk Hang Estate, a public housing estate in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong * Wong Chuk Hang Road, a majo ...
; ) in London after graduation, when they worked together as engineers at Standard Telephones and Cables. She is British Chinese. They were married in 1959 in London, and had a son and a daughter, both of whom reside and work in
Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is a region in Northern California that serves as a global center for high technology and innovation. Located in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, it corresponds roughly to the geographical areas San Mateo County ...
, California. According to Kao's autobiography, Kao was a Catholic who attended
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
while his wife attended the
Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
.


Academic career


Fiber optics and communications

In the 1960s at
Standard Telecommunication Laboratories Standard Telecommunication Laboratories was the UK research centre for Standard Telephones and Cables (STC). Initially based in Enfield, North London, and moved to Harlow Essex in 1959. STC was a subsidiary of ITT. Notable Achievements It is now ...
(STL) based in
Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...
, Essex, England, Kao and his coworkers did their pioneering work in creating
fiber optics An optical fiber, or optical fibre in Commonwealth English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair. Optical fibers are used most often as a means to ...
as a telecommunications medium, by demonstrating that the high-loss of existing fiber optics arose from impurities in the glass, rather than from an underlying problem with the technology itself. In 1963, when Kao first joined the optical communications research team he made notes summarising the background situation and available technology at the time, and identifying the key individuals involved. Initially Kao worked in the team of Antoni E. Karbowiak (Toni Karbowiak), who was working under
Alec Reeves Alec Harley Reeves (10 March 1902 – 13 October 1971) was a British scientist best known for his invention of pulse-code modulation (PCM). He was awarded 82 patents. Early life Alec Reeves was born in Redhill, Surrey in 1902 and was educated at ...
to study optical waveguides for communications. Kao's task was to investigate fiber
attenuation In physics, attenuation (in some contexts, extinction) is the gradual loss of flux intensity through a medium. For instance, dark glasses attenuate sunlight, lead attenuates X-rays, and water and air attenuate both light and sound at variable att ...
, for which he collected samples from different fiber manufacturers and also investigated the properties of bulk glasses carefully. Kao's study primarily convinced him that the impurities in material caused the high light losses of those fibers. Later that year, Kao was appointed head of the electro-optics research group at STL. He took over the optical communication program of STL in December 1964, because his supervisor, Karbowiak, left to take the Chair in Communications in the School of Electrical Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia. Although Kao succeeded Karbowiak as manager of optical communications research, he immediately decided to abandon Karbowiak's plan (thin-film waveguide) and overall change research direction with his colleague
George Hockham George Alfred Hockham FREng FIET (7 December 1938 – 16 September 2013) was a British engineer. He worked for over 40 years in theoretical analysis and design techniques applied to the solution of electromagnetic problems covering many diff ...
. They not only considered optical physics but also the material properties. The results were first presented by Kao to the IEE in January 1966 in London, and further published in July with George Hockham (1964–1965 worked with Kao). This study first theorized and proposed to use glass fibers to implement optical communication, the ideas (especially structural features and materials) described are largely the basis of today's optical fiber communications. In 1965, Kao with Hockham concluded that the fundamental limitation for glass light attenuation is below 20 ''dB/km'' (''
decibels The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a Power, root-power, and field quantities, power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whose ...
per kilometer'', is a measure of the attenuation of a signal over a distance), which is a key threshold value for optical communications. However, at the time of this determination, optical fibers commonly exhibited light loss as high as 1,000 dB/km and even more. This conclusion opened the intense race to find low-loss materials and suitable fibres for reaching such criteria. Kao, together with his new team (members including T. W. Davies, M. W. Jones, and C. R. Wright), pursued this goal by testing various materials. They precisely measured the attenuation of light with different wavelengths in glasses and other materials. During this period, Kao pointed out that the high purity of fused silica (SiO2) made it an ideal candidate for optical communication. Kao also stated that the impurity of glass material is the main cause for the dramatic decay of light transmission inside glass fiber, rather than fundamental physical effects such as
scattering Scattering is a term used in physics to describe a wide range of physical processes where moving particles or radiation of some form, such as light or sound, are forced to deviate from a straight trajectory by localized non-uniformities (including ...
as many physicists thought at that time, and such impurity could be removed. This led to a worldwide study and production of high-purity glass fibers. When Kao first proposed that such glass fiber could be used for long-distance information transfer and could replace copper wires which were used for telecommunication during that era, his ideas were widely disbelieved; later people realized that Kao's ideas revolutionized the whole communication technology and industry. He also played a leading role in the early stage of engineering and commercial realization of optical communication. In spring 1966, Kao traveled to the U.S. but failed to interest
Bell Labs Nokia Bell Labs, originally named Bell Telephone Laboratories (1925–1984), then AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984–1996) and Bell Labs Innovations (1996–2007), is an American industrial research and scientific development company owned by mult ...
, which was a competitor of STL in communication technology at that time. He subsequently traveled to Japan and gained support. Kao visited many glass and
polymer A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...
factories, discussed with various people including engineers, scientists, businessmen about the techniques and improvement of glass fiber manufacture. In 1969, Kao with M. W. Jones measured the intrinsic loss of bulk-fused silica at 4 dB/km, which is the first evidence of ultra-transparent glass. Bell Labs started considering fiber optics seriously. As of 2017, fiber optic losses (from both bulk and intrinsic sources) are as low as 0.1419 dB/km at the 1.56 µm wavelength. Kao developed important techniques and configurations for glass fiber waveguides, and contributed to the development of different fiber types and system devices which met both civil and
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
application requirements, and peripheral supporting systems for optical fiber communication. In mid-1970s, he did seminal work on glass fiber
fatigue strength The fatigue limit or endurance limit is the stress level below which an infinite number of loading cycles can be applied to a material without causing fatigue failure. Some metals such as ferrous alloys and titanium alloys have a distinct limit, w ...
. When named the first ITT Executive Scientist, Kao launched the "
Terabit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented a ...
Technology" program in addressing the high frequency limits of signal processing, so Kao is also known as the "father of the terabit technology concept". Kao has published more than 100 papers and was granted over 30 patents, including the water-resistant high-strength fibers (with M. S. Maklad). At an early stage of developing optic fibers, Kao already strongly preferred single-mode for long-distance optical communication, instead of using multi-mode systems. His vision later was followed and now is applied almost exclusively. Kao was also a visionary of modern
submarine communications cable A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The first submarine communications cables laid beginning in the 1850s carried tel ...
s and largely promoted this idea. He predicted in 1983 that world's seas would be littered with fiber optics, five years ahead of the time that such a trans-oceanic fiber-optic cable first became serviceable. Ali Javan's introduction of a steady helium–neon laser and Kao's discovery of fiber light-loss properties now are recognized as the two essential milestones for the development of fiber-optic communications.


Later work

Kao joined the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in 1970 to found the Department of Electronics, which later became the Department of Electronic Engineering. During this period, Kao was the
reader A reader is a person who reads. It may also refer to: Computing and technology * Adobe Reader (now Adobe Acrobat), a PDF reader * Bible Reader for Palm, a discontinued PDA application * A card reader, for extracting data from various forms of ...
and then the
chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...
Professor of Electronics at CUHK; he built up both undergraduate and graduate study programs of electronics and oversaw the graduation of his first students. Under his leadership, the School of Education and other new research institutes were established. He returned to
ITT Corporation ITT Inc., formerly ITT Corporation, is an American worldwide manufacturing company based in Stamford, Connecticut. The company produces specialty components for the aerospace, transportation, energy and industrial markets. ITT's three businesses ...
in 1974 (the parent corporation of STC at that time) in the United States and worked in Roanoke, Virginia, first as Chief Scientist and later as Director of Engineering. In 1982, he became the first ITT Executive Scientist and was stationed mainly at the Advanced Technology Center in
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
. While there, he served as an adjunct professor and Fellow of Trumbull College at
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
. In 1985, Kao spent one year in West Germany, at the SEL Research Center. In 1986, Kao was the Corporate Director of Research at ITT. He was one of the earliest to study the environmental effects of
land reclamation in Hong Kong The reclamation of land from the ocean has long been used in mountainous Hong Kong to expand the limited supply of usable land with a total of around 60 square kilometres of land created by 1996. The first reclamations can be traced back to the e ...
, and presented one of his first related studies at the conference of the
Association of Commonwealth Universities The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was established in 1913, and has over 500 member institutions in over 50 countries across the Commonwealth. The ACU is the world's oldest international network of universities. Its mission is ...
(ACU) in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
in 1972. Kao was the vice-chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong from 1987 to 1996. From 1991, Kao was an Independent Non-Executive Director and a member of the Audit Committee of the Varitronix International Limited in Hong Kong. From 1993 to 1994, he was the President of the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL). In 1996, Kao donated to
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, and the ''Charles Kao Fund Research Grants'' was established to support Yale's studies, research and creative projects in Asia. The fund currently is managed by Yale University Councils on East Asian and Southeast Asian Studies. After his retirement from CUHK in 1996, Kao spent his six-month sabbatical leave at the
Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering; from 1997 to 2002, he also served as visiting professor in the same department. Kao was chairman and member of the Energy Advisory Committee (EAC) of Hong Kong for two years, and retired from the position on July 15, 2000. Kao was a Member of the Council of Advisors on Innovation and Technology of Hong Kong, appointed on April 20, 2000. In 2000, Kao co-founded the Independent Schools Foundation Academy, which is located in Cyberport, Hong Kong. He was its founding Chairman in 2000, and stepped down from the Board of the ISF in December 2008. Kao was the
keynote speaker A keynote in public speaking is a talk that establishes a main underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address. The keynote establishes the framework fo ...
at
IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...
GLOBECOM 2002 in
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
, Taiwan. In 2003, Kao was named a Chair Professor by special appointment at the Electronics Institute of the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, National Taiwan University. Kao then worked as the chairman and CEO of Transtech Services Ltd., a telecommunication consultancy in Hong Kong. He was the founder, chairman and CEO of ITX Services Limited. From 2003 to January 30, 2009, Kao was an independent non-executive director and member of the audit committee of
Next Media Next Digital Limited (), previously known as Next Media Limited, founded by Jimmy Lai, has 2,095 employees (as of 30 Sep 2020) and is the largest listed media company in Hong Kong. From 20 October 2015, the company has changed its English na ...
.


Awards

Kao received numerous awards such as the
Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
., Grand Bauhinia Medal, Marconi Prize, Prince Philip Medal, Charles Stark Draper Award, Bell Award, SPIE Gold Medal, Japan International Award, Faraday Medal, James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials......


Honors

* 1993: A Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) * 2010: A Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) * 2010: The Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM), Hong Kong SAR


Society and academy recognition

* Life Fellow,
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City and its operation ...
, USA (1979 election) * Fellow, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, UK * Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1997 *
Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...
, The
Royal Academy of Engineering The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering. The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senior ...
, UK (1989 election) * Fellow, The
Marconi Society The Guglielmo Marconi International Fellowship Foundation, briefly called Marconi Foundation and currently known as The Marconi Society, was established by Gioia Marconi Braga in 1974 to commemorate the centennial of the birth (April 24, 1874) of he ...
, USA (1985 election) * Honorary Fellow (1994 election) and former President, The Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES), Hong Kong * Distinguished Fellow, The Hong Kong Computer Society, Hong Kong (1989 election) * Honorary Fellow, The Hong Kong Institute of Engineers (1994 election) * Academician,
Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...
,
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
(1992 election) * Member, Optical Society of America, USA * Member,
European Academy of Sciences and Arts The European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA, la, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea) is a transnational and interdisciplinary network, connecting about 2,000 recommended scientists and artists worldwide, including 37 Nobel Prize laure ...
, Austria * Member, United States National Academy of Engineering (1990 election) * Foreign Member, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, Sweden (1988 election) * Foreign Member, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (1996 election) * Fellow, Trumbull College of
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
* Honorary Fellow, The Queen Mary, University of London * Honorary Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong (appointed in 1996) * Honorary Professor,
Peking University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...
, Beijing (appointed in 1995) * Honorary Professor,
Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (; abbreviation, abbr. THU) is a National university, national Public university, public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Minis ...
, Beijing (appointed in 1995) * Honorary Professor, Beijing University of International Business and Economics, Beijing (appointed in 1995) * Honorary Professor,
Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications The Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT) () is a key national university distinguished by the teaching and research in the field of cable communications, wireless communications, computer, and electronic engineering. BUP ...
(appointed in 1995) * Chair Professor by special appointment, National Taiwan University, Taipei (appointed in 2003) * Honorary Professor (1997–2002), Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong * Lifetime Honorary Professorship, City University of Hong Kong (appointed on January 1, 2002) * Advisor of Macao Science and Technology Council


Honorary degrees

* Honorary Doctor of Science, Chinese University of Hong Kong, British Hong Kong (1985) * Doctor of Science, The
University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...
, U.K. (1990) * Doctor of Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan (1990) * Degree of Honorary Doctor, Soka University, Japan (1991) * Doctor of Engineering, The
University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...
, U.K. (1992) * Honorary DCL,
Durham University , mottoeng = Her foundations are upon the holy hills (Psalm 87:1) , established = (university status) , type = Public , academic_staff = 1,830 (2020) , administrative_staff = 2,640 (2018/19) , chancellor = Sir Thomas Allen , vice_chan ...
, U.K. (1994) * Doctor of the University, Griffith University, Australia (1995) * Honorary degree in "Telecommunications engineering",
University of Padua The University of Padua ( it, Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is an Italian university located in the city of Padua, region of Veneto, northern Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from B ...
, Italy (Oct 18, 1996) * Doctor of Science,
University of Hull The University of Hull is a public research university in Kingston upon Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1927 as University College Hull. The main university campus is located in Hull and is home to the Hull ...
, U.K. (1998) * Doctor of Science,
Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
, USA (1999) * Doctor of Science Honoris Causa, University of Greenwich, U.K. (2002) * Doctor of Science,
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
, USA (2004) * Honorary doctor of laws degree,
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
, Canada (June 16, 2005) * Honorary Doctor,
Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications The Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT) () is a key national university distinguished by the teaching and research in the field of cable communications, wireless communications, computer, and electronic engineering. BUP ...
, China (2007) * Honorary Doctorate of Science,
University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...
, U.K. (2010) * Honorary Degree,
University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...
, U.K. (Sep 24, 2010) * Doctor of Science ''honoris causa'',
University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...
, Hong Kong S.A.R., China (2011)


Awards

Kao donated most of his prize medals to the Chinese University of Hong Kong. * 1976: The Morey Award, American Ceramic Society, USA * 1977: The Stuart Ballantine Medal, Franklin Institute, USA * 1978: The Rank Prize in Optoelectronics, Rank Trust Fund, UK * 1978: The
IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award The initially called Morris Liebmann Memorial Prize provided by the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), the IEEE Morris N. Liebmann Memorial Award was created in 1919 in honor of Colonel Morris N. Liebmann. It was initially given to awardees who h ...
. Citation: "for making communication at optical frequencies practical by discovering, inventing, and developing the material, techniques and configurations for glass fiber waveguides and, in particular, for recognizing and proving by careful measurements in bulk glasses that silicon glass could provide the requisite low optical loss needed for a practical communication system". * 1979: The L. M. Ericsson International Prize, Sweden * 1980: The Gold Medal, AFCEA, USA * 1981: The CESASC Achievement Award,
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
, USA * 1983: USAI Achievement Award, U.S.-Asia Institute, USA * 1985: The IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal * 1985: The Marconi International Scientist Award, Marconi Foundation, USA * 1985: The Columbus Medal of the City of
Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
, Italy * 1986: The CIE Achievement Award of the CIE-USA Annual Awards, USA * 1987: The C & C Prize, Foundation for Communication and Computer Promotion, Japan * 1989: The
Faraday Medal The Faraday Medal is a top international medal awarded by the UK Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) (previously called the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE)). It is part of the IET Achievement Medals collection of awards. T ...
, Institution of Electrical Engineers, UK * 1989: The
James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials The James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials is a prize that has been awarded annually by the American Physical Society since 1975, but was only given that name following its endowment by IBM in 1999. Prior to that it was known as the Internation ...
, American Physical Society (APS). Citation: "for contribution to the materials research and development that resulted in practical low loss optical fibers, one of the cornerstones of optical communications technology". * 1992: The Gold Medal of the Society, SPIE * 1995: The Gold Medal for Engineering Excellence, The World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), UK * 1996: The
Prince Philip Medal The Prince Philip Medal is named after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was the Senior Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE). In 1989 Prince Philip agreed to the commissioning of solid gold medals to be "awarded periodically to a ...
of the
Royal Academy of Engineering The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering. The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senior ...
, UK, in recognition of "his pioneering work which led to the invention of optical fiber and for his leadership in its engineering and commercial realization; and for his distinguished contribution to higher education in Hong Kong" * 1996: la Citta' di Padova, Italy * 1996: The 12th
Japan Prize is awarded to people from all parts of the world whose "original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind." The P ...
. Citation: "for pioneering research on wide-band, low-loss optical fiber communications". * 1998: The International Lecture Medal, IEE, UK. * 1999: The Charles Stark Draper Prize (co-recipient with Robert D. Maurer and John B. MacChesney), USA * 2001: Millennium Outstanding Engineer Award, Hong Kong * 2006: The HKIE Gold Medal Award, HKIE (The Hong Kong Institute of Engineers), Hong Kong * 2009: The
Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...
(1/2 of the prize), Sweden. Citation: "for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication". * 2009: The IEEE Photonics Society Plaque * 2010 (Feb 27): Distinguished Science & Technology Award, 2010 Asian American Engineer of the Year Award, AAEOY 2010, USA * 2010 (Mar 27): 2009/2010 World Chinese Grand Prize, Phoenix Television, Hong Kong * 2010 (April 8/9): Chinese American Distinction Award, San Francisco, USA * 20 Feb 2014: FTTH Operators Award and Individual Award


Namesakes

* The minor planet 3463 Kaokuen, discovered in 1981, was named after Kao in 1996. * 1996 (November 7): The north wing of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Science Center was named the Charles Kuen Kao Building. * 2009 (December 30): The landmark auditorium in the Hong Kong Science Park was named after Kao – the Charles K. Kao Auditorium. * 2010 (March 18): Professor Charles Kao Square, a square of the Independent Schools Foundation Academy * 2014 (September): Sir Charles Kao UTC (now known as
BMAT STEM Academy BMAT STEM Academy is a University Technical College within the Harlow College campus in Harlow, Essex, England, which opened in September 2014 as Sir Charles Kao UTC. It was named after the Nobel Prize winning scientist Charles K. Kao who worked ...
) was opened. * 2014: Kao Data, a data center operator based on the former site of Sir Charles Kao's work on fiber optics cables, was founded.


Others

* Featured in
Science Museum London The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London. It was founded in 1857 and is one of the city's major tourist attractions, attracting 3.3 million visitors annually in 2019. Like other publicly funded ...
*
Hong Kong Affairs Adviser Hong Kong Affairs Advisers () were appointed by the Chinese government after the last Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten carried out his electoral reform in the British Hong Kong, in the eve of the handover of the sovereignty of the city-state fr ...
(May 1994 – June 30, 1997) * 1999:
Asian of the Century Asian of the Century was a centurial issue of the 20th century held by American AsianWeek magazine and CNN in 1999 that features and profiles Asian persons who have topped their respective fields. Those people featured are considered as "The perso ...
, Science and Technology * 2002: Leader of the Year – Innovation Technology Category, Sing Tao, Hong Kong * October 21, 2002: Inducted into the Engineering Hall of Fame, the 50th Anniversary Issue, ''Electronic Design'' * January 3, 2008: Inducted into the Celebration 60, British Council's 60th anniversary in Hong Kong * November 4, 2009:
Honorary citizenship Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...
, and the "Dr. Charles Kao Day" in
Mountain View, California Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it has a population of 82,376. Mountain View was integral to the early history and growth of Silicon Valley, and is the ...
, USA * 2009: Hong Kong's Person of the Year * The Top 10 Asian Achievements of 2009 – No.7 * 2010 (February): Honoree, Committee of 100, USA * The 2010 OFC/ NFOEC Conferences were dedicated to Kao, March 23–25, San Diego, California, USA. * May 14–15, 2010: Two sessions were dedicated to Kao at the 19th Annual Wireless and Optical Communications Conference (WOCC 2010), Shanghai, P.R. China. * May 22, 2010: Inducted into the memento archive of the
2010 Shanghai World Expo Expo 2010, officially the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, was held on both banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China, from 1 May to 31 October 2010. It was a major World Expo registered by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), in the tr ...
* Mid-2010: Hong Kong
Definitive Stamp A definitive stamp is a postage stamp that is part of the regular issue of a country's stamps, available for sale by the post office for an extended period of time and designed to serve the everyday postal needs of the country. The term is used in ...
Sheetlet (No. 1), Hong Kong SAR * March 25, 2011:
Blue plaque A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
unveiled in
Harlow Harlow is a large town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire and London, Harlow occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upp ...
, Essex, UK * November 4, 2014: ''Gimme Fiber Day'' on Kao's birthday, FTTH Councils Global Alliance * On November 4, 2021,
Google Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
celebrated Kao's birthday with a Google Doodle. The binary output in the graphic spells out 'KAO' when converted to ASCII.


Later life and death

Kao's international travels led him to opine that he belonged to the world instead of any country. An open letter published by Kao and his wife in 2010 later clarified that "Charles studied in Hong Kong for his high schooling, he has taught here, he was the Vice-Chancellor of
CUHK The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...
and retired here too. So he is a
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
belonger."
Pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
making was a hobby of Kao's. Kao also enjoyed reading
wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted f ...
(Chinese martial fantasy) novels. Kao suffered from
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
from early 2004 and had speech difficulty, but had no problem recognising people or addresses. His father suffered from the same disease. Beginning in 2008, he resided in
Mountain View, California Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it has a population of 82,376. Mountain View was integral to the early history and growth of Silicon Valley, and is the ...
,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, where he moved from Hong Kong in order to live near his children and grandchild. On October 6, 2009, when Kao was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the study of the transmission of light in optical fibers and for fiber
communication Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...
, he said, "I am absolutely speechless and never expected such an honor." Kao's wife Gwen told the press that the prize will primarily be used for Charles's medical expenses. In 2010 Charles and Gwen Kao founded the Charles K. Kao Foundation for Alzheimer's Disease to raise public awareness about the disease and provide support for the patients. In 2016, Kao lost the ability to maintain his balance. At the end-stage of his
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
he was cared for by his wife and intended not to be kept alive with life support or have CPR performed on him. Kao died at
Bradbury Hospice Bradbury Hospice () is a hospice with 26 beds located in Sha Tin, Hong Kong. It is under the New Territories East Cluster managed by the Hospital Authority. History Bradbury Hospice was found by the Society for the Promotion of Hospice Care an ...
in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
on 23 September 2018 at the age of 84.


Works

* ''Optical fiber technology''; by Charles K. Kao. IEEE Press, New York, USA; 1981. * ''Optical Fiber Technology, II''; by Charles K. Kao. IEEE Press, New York, USA; 1981, 343 pages. . * ''Optical Fiber Systems: Technology, Design, and Applications''; by Charles K. Kao.
McGraw-Hill McGraw Hill is an American educational publishing company and one of the "big three" educational publishers that publishes educational content, software, and services for pre-K through postgraduate education. The company also publishes referenc ...
, USA; 1982; 204 pages. . * ''Optical fiber'' (IEE materials & devices series, Volume 6); by Charles K. Kao.
Palgrave Macmillan Palgrave Macmillan is a British academic and trade publishing company headquartered in the London Borough of Camden. Its programme includes textbooks, journals, monographs, professional and reference works in print and online. It maintains off ...
on behalf of IEEE; 1988;
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
; 158 pages. * ''A Choice Fulfilled: the Business of High Technology''; by Charles K. Kao. The Chinese University Press/ Palgrave Macmillan; 1991, 203 pages. * ''Tackling the Millennium Bug Together: Public Conferences''; by Charles K. Kao. Central Policy Unit, Hong Kong; 48 pages, 1998. * ''Technology Road Maps for Hong Kong: a Preliminary Study''; by Charles K. Kao. Office of Industrial and Business Development, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; 126 pages, 1990. * ''Nonlinear Photonics: Nonlinearities in Optics, Optoelectronics and Fiber Communications''; by Yili Guo, Kin S. Chiang, E. Herbert Li, and Charles K. Kao. The Chinese University Press, Hong Kong; 2002, 600 pages.


Notes


References


Further reading

* * * * * K. C. Kao (June 1986),
1012 bit/s Optoelectronics Technology
, ''IEE Proceedings'' 133, Pt.J, No 3, 230–236. * * * **


External links


Optical Fibre History at STL
* including the Nobel Lecture 8 December 2009 ''Sand from centuries past; Send future voices fast'' *
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

Lighting the way to a revolution
* Mountain View Voice
The legacy of Charles Kao

Man who lit up the world – Professor Charles Kao CBE FREng
''Ingenia'', Issue 43, June 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kao, Charles K. 1933 births 2018 deaths Academics of Imperial College London Academics of Queen Mary University of London Alumni of University of London Worldwide Alumni of the University of London Alumni of the University of Greenwich Alumni of University College London American electrical engineers American Nobel laureates American people of Hong Kong descent American physicists American people of Chinese descent British electrical engineers British emigrants to the United States British Nobel laureates British physicists Chinese University of Hong Kong people Draper Prize winners Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Fellow Members of the IEEE Fellows of the Institution of Engineering and Technology Fiber-optic communications Hong Kong Affairs Advisors Hong Kong electrical engineers Hong Kong emigrants to England Hong Kong Nobel laureates Hong Kong physicists Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Members of Academia Sinica Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering Foreign members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Nobel laureates in Physics People with Alzheimer's disease Recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal Physicists from Shanghai Shanghai Nobel laureates Vice-Chancellors of the Chinese University of Hong Kong Yale University faculty Yale University fellows Educators from Shanghai SPIE ITT Inc. people Chinese emigrants to Hong Kong Chinese Roman Catholics British Roman Catholics American Roman Catholics Optical engineers Optical physicists