Staff and students pay tribute to Sussex physicist
Physics staff and students have been paying tribute to Professor Wolfgang Lange, who died suddenly at the beginning of April while travelling home from a conference in Israel.
Professor Wolfgang Lange
Professor Lange had been Professor of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics at Sussex since 2004 and worked in the field of Single Ion Cavity QED. By employing microscopic cavities formed of optical fibres he developed a unique source of quantum light.
Professor Lange had worked in the field of quantum optics since 1988, specializing in atom-cavity interactions for his thesis work at the Ludwig-Maximillian University in Munich.
His subsequent work was at Caltech, where he worked on one of the world's first quantum logic gates, and in Munich, where he developed the world's first nanoscopic probe with a single trapped ion.
Professor Philip Harris, head of the Physics and Astronomy department, said: “Wolfgang was an outstanding experimental physicist and a world-leading figure in his field.
“He was a kind and gentle person, much loved by students and staff alike. He was always ready to put his shoulder to the wheel when help was needed, and he contributed greatly to the friendly face of our department.”
Other staff and students have also paid tribute to their “dearly loved colleague, mentor and friend”.
Dr Barry Garraway, Reader in Theoretical Physics, said: “Wolfgang was exceptionally skilled and an internationally recognised physicist. He was a kind, humorous and thoughtful man and was liked by all of his students, colleagues and friends.”
In an online tribute, Emeritus Professor David Bailin posted: “Wolfgang's wit and good nature will be sorely missed, as well as his brilliance as a physicist, of course.”
Stephen Begley, a research student and associate tutor, wrote: “Wolfgang was not only a supervisor and a mentor but a great friend.
“His spirit of enthusiasm and interest extended not only to his work but to everyone he met and he had the wonderful ability to instantly engage with anyone he met and instil in them a similar zeal and inquisitiveness.
“He had an indomitable joy which never failed to provide a fresh motivation or approach for even the most frustrating experimental issues!”