Jeff Hecht

Jeff Hecht has been writing about science and technology for over 40 years. He is best known for writing on lasers, optics and fiber optics in books and magazines, particularly Laser Focus World. He was named a Fellow of The Optical Society “for informing and educating professionals as well as the general public in the advances in optics and lasers”. He also won the Jesse H. Neal Award for best feature article in an industry magazine for "Great Leaps of Light" published in IEEE Spectrum in February, 2016. His best-selling tutorial book is "Understanding Fiber Optics," with over 100,000 copies sold in five editions. His "Understanding Fiber Optics: An Entry-Level Guide," had its fourth edition out in 2019. He also wrote "Optics: Light for a New Age" for young readers, and Beam Weapons: The Next Arms Race, explaining the technology behind Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. He also writes histories of the technology he covers. City of Light: The Story of Fiber Optics was part of the Sloan Technology Series. Beam: The Race to Make The Laser tells how the laser was invented. Lasers, Death Rays, and the Long Strange Quest for the Ultimate Weapon is the story of laser weapons. He is a contributing editor to Laser Focus World, a correspondent for New Scientist, and writes frequently for other magazines including IEEE Spectrum, Optics & Photonics News, Sky & Telescope, and Photonics Focus. He lives in the Boston area and holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Caltech.