physics

Nicholas J. Phillips

Nicholas J. Phillips is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nicholas J. Phillips rather than just read about it. In short: Nicholas (Nick) John Phillips (26 September 1933 – 23 May 2009) was an English physicist, notable for the development of photochemical processing techniques for the colour hologram. Holograms typically used to have low signal-to-noise ratios, and Phillips is credited as the pioneer of silver halide holographic processing techniques for producing high-quality reflection holograms.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Nicholas (Nick) John Phillips (26 September 1933 – 23 May 2009) was an English physicist, notable for the development of photochemical processing techniques for the colour hologram. Holograms typically used to have low signal-to-noise ratios, and Phillips is credited as the pioneer of silver halide holographic processing techniques for producing high-quality reflection holograms.

Career Phillips graduated with a BSc degree in physics from Imperial College, London. He was a senior researcher at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE), Aldermaston, from 1959 to 1962. He was a research scientist at the Sperry Rand Research Centre, Sudbury, Massachusetts, United States, from 1962 to 1963. He was a theoretical physicist at English Electric, Whetstone, Leicester, UK, from 1963 to 1965. From 1965 to 1993 he was appointed at Loughborough University, where he rose to Professor of Applied Optics. In October 1993, he was appointed as Professor of Imaging Science at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. Phillips was the co-founder in the early 1970s of Holoco, who using lasers supplied by The Who (that had been used in laser light shows during their concerts), constructed the Light Fantastic exhibitions as The Royal Academy of Arts, London, in 1977–8. The company became Advanced Holographics in 1980 when The Who withdrew their financial backing, and was based in Loughborough, UK, and later became part of Markem Systems.

Research and achievements Phillips is credited with the development of bleaching and processing techniques, which made it possible to record multi-color reflection holograms from a single wavelength laser. His research interests include holographic displays, edge-lit holograms, optical encoding for security, photopolymers, and novel micro-optic systems, and he has numerous patents in these areas.

Holographic art Phillips developed a technique for producing white light holograms that work in dim lighting conditions, which are now widely used in the world of holographic art.

Awards Phillips was awarded the Institute of Physics Thomas Young Medal (1981) in recognition for contributions to holography, particularly the development of high quality holograms for visual display. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics.

Selected publications by Phillips N. J. Phillips and D. Porter, "An advance in the processing of holograms," Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments (1976) p. 631 N. J. Phillips, A. A. Ward, R. Cullen, and D. Porter, "Advances in holographic bleaches," Photographic Science and Engineering, 24 (1980) p. 120. N. J. Phillips, H. Heyworth, and T. Hare, "On Lippmann's photography," Journal of Photographic Science, 32 (1984) pp. 158–169. N. J. Phillips and R. A. J. van der Werf, "The creation of efficient reflective Lippmann layers in ultra-fine grain silver halide materials using non-laser sources," Journal of Photographic Science, 33 (1985) pp. 22–28, N. J. Phillips, "Benign bleaching for healthy holography," Holosphere, 14(4) (1986) p. 21. N. J. Phillips, "The silver halides—the workhorse of the holography business," Proceedings of the International Symposium of Display Holography, 3 (1988) p. 35. D. Abbott, B. R. Davis, N. J. Phillips, and K. Eshraghian, "Simple derivation of the thermal noise formula using window-limited Fourier transforms," IEEE Trans. Education, 39(1) (1996) pp. 1–13.

References Dieter Jung, "Holographic space: A historical view and some personal experiences", Leonardo, Vol. 22, No. 3/4, Holography as an Art Medium: Special Double Issue. (1989), pp. 331–336. Ed Wesly, "A toast to Nick Phillips", Leonardo, Vol. 25, No. 5, Archives of Holography: A Partial View of a Three-Dimensional World: Special Issue. (1992), pp. 439–442.

Notes

External links A photographic collection of Phillips's holograms Link to Phillips's company, Advanced Holographics Times obituary

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nicholas J. Phillips

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nicholas J. Phillips claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nicholas J. Phillips before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nicholas J. Phillips ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nicholas J. Phillips

In research: Nicholas J. Phillips appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nicholas J. Phillips in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nicholas J. Phillips is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1933 births, 2009 deaths, Academics of De Montfort University, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nicholas J. Phillips outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nicholas J. Phillips in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nicholas J. Phillips means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nicholas J. Phillips out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nicholas J. Phillips in simple terms?

Why does Nicholas J. Phillips matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nicholas J. Phillips?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nicholas J. Phillips.