Optical communications
Charles K. Kao: inventions and patents
Known for Transmission of light in fibres for optical communicationNationality Born in Shanghai, China, worked in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong4 November 1933 to 23 September 2018
Charles K. Kao, born in Shanghai, received half of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibres for optical communication. The Nobel Foundation lists his affiliations as Standard Telecommunication Laboratories in Harlow, United Kingdom, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He died in Hong Kong in 2018.1
Inventions
- Low-loss optical fibre communication. Work on transmitting light through glass fibres for communication, recognised by the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics.1
Recognition
- 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics (one half), for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibres for optical communication1
Sources
- Nobel Prize Outreach, Charles K. Kao, Facts (accessed 2026-10-27)