Dr. Kane

Tom Kane, Ph.D.

Dr. Thomas J. Kane has 25 years of experience in the laser business. He was co-founder of Lightwave Electronics Corporation and served as its Optical Engineering Manager. He held the same position in the JDSU Commercial Laser division after the acquisition of Lightwave Electronics by JDSU. Dr. Kane played a key role in the development of Lightwave Electronics’ single-frequency laser product line. He was the principal investigator responsible for the development of the reliable 10-Watt single-frequency lasers used in the Laser Interferometric Gravitational Observatory (LIGO). He led a team at Lightwave Electronics that demonstrated multiple inventions in the field of fiber lasers operated at non-standard wavelengths. Dr. Kane also led a team that designed and produced space-qualified single-frequency lasers for NASA. These were launched in 2004 and are still fulfilling their critical role in an atmospheric monitoring satellite. Dr. Kane worked in Prof. Robert Byer’s group at Stanford University where he received his PhD.