Boris Peter Stoicheff. 1 June 1924—15 April 2010

Abstract

Boris Stoicheff was a pioneer in the use of high-resolution Raman spectroscopy at the National Research Council of Canada to elucidate the structural properties of molecules. He was also one of the first scientists to apply lasers to spectroscopy, investigating spontaneous and stimulated Raman and Brillouin scattering in liquids and solids at the University of Toronto. He later extended the range of tunable coherent sources into the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) regions down to 80 nm, allowing investigations of electronic states and their lifetimes for rare gas dimers. He authored 190 research and review articles as well as a biography of his postdoctoral mentor and later his senior colleague, Gerhard Herzberg. He used his keen insight, warm personality and strong personal skills to serve the scientific community in numerous administrative roles, including terms as president of the Canadian Association of Physicists and the Optical Society of America. His 24 PhD graduates and more than 20 postdoctoral fellows and visitors, all of whom benefitted from his strong mentoring skills and high standards, have gone on to prominent positions in academia, government and industry.