Han Woerdman
{{Short description|Dutch physicist (1942–2020)}}
Johannes Petrus "Han" Woerdman (29 November 1942 – 18 August 2020) was a Dutch physicist. He was a researcher at Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium and later professor at Leiden University.
Life
Woerdman was born on 29 November 1942 in Laren, North Holland.{{cite web|author= |url=https://hoogleraren.leidenuniv.nl/id/2815 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825165553/https://hoogleraren.leidenuniv.nl/id/2815 |title=Johannes Petrus Woerdman (Han) |language=Dutch |publisher=Leiden University |date= |archive-date=25 August 2020}} In 1968 he started working at Philips Natuurkundig Laboratorium.{{cite web|author= |url=https://casimir.researchschool.nl/in-memoriam-han-woerdman-4861.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825171602/https://casimir.researchschool.nl/in-memoriam-han-woerdman-4861.html |title=In memoriam: Han Woerdman
|publisher=Casimir Research School |date=20 August 2020 |archive-date=25 August 2020}} He obtained his PhD in mathematics at the University of Amsterdam in 1971 under Andries Rinse Miedema with a thesis titled: "Some optical and electrical properties of a laser-generated free-carrier plasma in Si."{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.albumacademicum.uva.nl/cgi/b/bib/bib-idx?type=simple;lang=nl;c=ap;rgn1=entirerecord;q1=Woerdman;x=0;y=0;cc=ap;view=reslist;sort=achternaam;fmt=long;page=reslist;start=1;size=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825165235/http://www.albumacademicum.uva.nl/cgi/b/bib/bib-idx?type=simple&lang=nl&c=ap&rgn1=entirerecord&q1=Woerdman&x=0&y=0&cc=ap&view=reslist&sort=achternaam&fmt=long&page=reslist&start=1&size=1 |title=J.P. Woerdman |language=Dutch |publisher=University of Amsterdam |date= |archive-date=25 August 2020}} In 1983 he left Philips and was appointed professor of experimental physics at Leiden University.
At Leiden University Woerdman performed research into lasers and optics, specializing in classical optics. He was responsible for building the field of quantum optics at the University.{{cite web|url=https://images.nrc.nl/8i4D4nEE7XAjINBpSCU3X43w_nM=/x/filters:no_upscale():format(jpeg):fill(f8f8f8,true)/s3/nrchub/clippings/NH/20200825/304-advertisement-216062_1269430_woerdman10-b66b98.png |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825174336/https://images.nrc.nl/8i4D4nEE7XAjINBpSCU3X43w_nM=/x/filters:no_upscale%28%29:format%28jpeg%29:fill%28f8f8f8,true%29/s3/nrchub/clippings/NH/20200825/304-advertisement-216062_1269430_woerdman10-b66b98.png |title=Overlijdensbericht Prof. Dr. J.P. (Han) Woerdman |language=Dutch |publisher=NRC Handelsblad |date=25 August 2020 |archive-date=25 August 2020}} In 2020 one of the articles he contributed to in 1992 was chosen as one of three classics of Physical Review A.{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.uva.nl/shared-content/subsites/institute-of-physics/nl/nieuws/2020/03/donut-modes-artikel-van-robert-spreeuw-gekozen-tot-pra-classic.html?origin=C7qo0vSuQiCeMfPYaosIew |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825173101/https://www.uva.nl/shared-content/subsites/institute-of-physics/nl/nieuws/2020/03/donut-modes-artikel-van-robert-spreeuw-gekozen-tot-pra-classic.html?origin=C7qo0vSuQiCeMfPYaosIew |title="Donut modes"-artikel van Robert Spreeuw gekozen tot PRA classic |language=Dutch |publisher=University of Amsterdam |date=15 March 2020 |archive-date=25 August 2020}}
Woerdman was elected a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002.{{cite web|url=https://www.knaw.nl/en/members/members/5304 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808001234/https://www.knaw.nl/en/members/members/5304 |title=Han Woerdman |publisher=Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences |date= |archive-date=8 August 2020}} In 2007 he was named a Fellow of the European Optical Society.{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.engineersonline.nl/nieuws/id8511-eos-fellowship-2007-voor-ad-lagendijk-en-han-woerdman-.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825173533/https://www.engineersonline.nl/nieuws/id8511-eos-fellowship-2007-voor-ad-lagendijk-en-han-woerdman-.html |title=EOS Fellowship 2007 voor Ad Lagendijk en Han Woerdman |language=Dutch |publisher=engineersonline.nl |date=27 July 2007 |archive-date=25 August 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.europeanoptics.org/pages/distinctions/eos-fellows.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613233341/https://www.europeanoptics.org/pages/distinctions/eos-fellows.html |title=EOS fellows |publisher=European Optical Society |date= |archive-date=13 June 2020}} In 2010 he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which caused his death on 18 August 2020 at the age of 77.
References
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Category:Deaths from Parkinson's disease in the Netherlands
Category:20th-century Dutch physicists
Category:Academic staff of Leiden University
Category:Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences