People > Franz X. Kaertner > Biographical Background

Biographical Background

Professor Franz X. Kärtner is a principal investigator in the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He received his Diploma and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Technische Universität München, Germany in 1986, and 1989, respectively. From 1989-1991 he carried out post doctoral  research at Technische Universität München. In 1991, he was awarded a Feodor-Lynen Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to carry out research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From 1993 to 1997, he was a principal investigator at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, earning his Habilitation degree. After a visiting professorship in 1998 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology he joined Universität Karlsruhe (TH) as a Professor of Electrical Engineering and held the Chair for Photonics and Terahertz Technology. In 2001 he returned to Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he is full professor since 2005.

Professor Kärtner's research interests have included modeling and simulation of the nonlinear dynamics, noise in microwave oscillators and circuits, and quantum noise in optical fibers. His current interests are focused on ultrashort pulse generation in the few-cycle regime, frequency metrology, low noise femtosecond lasers and its applications in sampling and in timing distribution and synchronization systems and electronic-photonic integrated circuits.  He serves on the program committees of CLEO Europe and CLEO US.