The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009

Charles Kuen Kao

© The Nobel Foundation. Photo: U. Montan

Prize share: 1/2

Willard S. Boyle

© The Nobel Foundation. Photo: U. Montan

Prize share: 1/4

George E. Smith

© The Nobel Foundation. Photo: U. Montan

Prize share: 1/4

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009 was divided, one half awarded to Charles Kuen Kao "for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication", the other half jointly to Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith "for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit - the CCD sensor"

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Nobel Prizes and laureates

Six prizes were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 12 laureates' work and discoveries range from proteins' structures and machine learning to fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons.

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