Anand Gopinath
About Optica
In Memoriam: Anand Gopinath, 1936-2024
14 August 2024
Dr. Anand Gopinath, Optica Fellow and a pioneer in the modeling of microwave strip lines, integrated optical devices, and signal processing for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), passed away
Anand was born on 6 August 1936 in Madras (now Chennai), India. He had a joyful disposition and a passion for excellence. As a young man, Anand learned to fly airplanes
Anand's research spanned microwave devices, optoelectronics, and MRI signal processing. His early work used scanning electron microscopy to probe resistivity variations in gallium arsenide devices. His work calculating the parameters of equivalent circuits of microstrip line discontinuities is still used today in microwave circuit design. At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Anand's team demonstrated the first millimeter-wave monolithically integrated transmitters and transceivers on gallium arsenide with diode and metal-semiconductor field effect transistors as active elements. At the University of Minnesota, Anand's research in integrated optics focused on modeling and simulation of dielectric waveguides using finite element simulations, transverse field components, finite volume techniques, and boundary integral methods.
Anand was also instrumental in new device development. His innovations in coupler modulators included ultra-low voltage lengths, high-frequency operation, and synthesized-response modulators. In semiconductor lasers, he developed one of the first transverse injection ridge lasers, worked on high relaxation frequency unstrained lasers in gallium arsenide/aluminum gallium arsenide, and demonstrated novel techniques for producing high power, single-spatial-mode vertical cavity surface emitting lasers using external cavities and integrated spatial filters. He also designed high modulation frequency semiconductor optical amplifiers, an active 4X4 switch matrix, and polarization-insensitive semiconductor optical amplifiers in aluminum indium gallium arsenide using tensile-strained quantum wells. Anand made significant contributions to MRI technology, optimizing 7 Tesla TEM coils for optimal coupling of magnetic fields to the human body while limiting electric fields to ensure patient safety and developing computational models of multi-coil excitation.
Anand gave back to the community through significant service roles in both Optica and IEEE. He was involved with the Integrated Photonics Research Conference since its inception, first as a committee member, then as subcommittee chair, and as Conference Co-Chair. Anand was also a longtime technical program committee member for the IEEE International Microwave Symposium. He was an Associate Editor for the Journal of Lightwave Technology and an Associate Editor for IEEE Photonic Technology Letters. Anand was recognized as a Fellow of Optica, IEEE, and IET. In 2017, he was awarded the IEEE MTT Society's prestigious Microwave Application Award for his work on microstrip transmission lines. Anand contributed to numerous books, including High-Speed Electronics and Optoelectronics: Devices and Circuits (2009) and Safety and Biological Effects in MRI (2021).
Anand met his beloved wife, Marian, in England. They married in 1966 and had two daughters, Juliet and Charlotte. Anand was known for his exceptional intellect, dry humor, love of learning, and conviviality. Anand also went out of his way to support young professionals and investigators, touching the lives of students, faculty, and people from all walks of life. His thirst for knowledge and sense of adventure took him worldwide. He was keenly interested not only in science, mathematics, and engineering but also in music, literature, and the arts. He loved classical music and studied the cello at the MacPhail Center for the Arts. He was passionate about fitness and constantly searched for new competitive adventures, including playing squash, tennis, speed walking, hiking, and camping in the Colorado Rockies. In the evenings, he could often be found walking his dogs at sunset on the Luce Line Trail as he chatted with Marian.
Anand was preceded in death by his parents, Amba Bai and S. K. Gopinath, and his beloved wife, Marian. He is survived by his children, Juliet (Brian Lay) and Charlotte (Paul Tillberg); four grandchildren—Payal, Evan, Anjali, and Kalyani—and his siblings, Vimala Ramakrishnan, Sudhir Gopinath and Srikanth Gopinath. Anand approached life with passion, curiosity, and unbounded energy. He inspired everyone around him. He will be remembered for his brilliance, warmth, and joy and will be dearly missed.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Anand Gopinath Family Scholarship in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), University of Minnesota Twin Cities, College of Science and Engineering.
https://makingagift.umn.edu/give/fund.html?id=25581
Special thanks to the following contributors: Dr. Jerry Hauser, Dr. Juliet Gopinath, Dr. Charlotte Gopinath, Dr. James Leger, Dr. Rhonda Franklin, Dr. Peter Herczfeld, Dr. Alwyn Seeds, Dr. Can Ugan, Dr. Michael Hill, Dr. Alan Willner
