A Canadian scientist who became only the third woman to win the Nobel Prize for Physics said her personal triumph doubles as a sign of progress for her male-dominated industry.

Donna Strickland, associate professor at Ontario害羞草研究所檚 University of Waterloo, was honoured on Tuesday for being half of the team to discover Chirped Pulse Amplification, a technique that underpins today害羞草研究所檚 short-pulse, high-intensity lasers.

The 59-year-old Guelph, Ont., native made the discovery while completing her PhD at the University of Rochester in New York and will share half of the US$1.01-million prize with her doctoral adviser, French physicist Gerard Mourou. Arthur Ashkin of the United States was the third winner of the 2018 physics prize.

Strickland害羞草研究所檚 victory not only cemented her own place in Nobel history, but ended a 55-year-long drought for female physicists being recognized by the prize committee. She joins the ranks of Marie Curie, the first woman to claim the honour in 1903, and 1963 winner Maria Goeppert-Mayer.

Strickland said reflecting on Goeppert-Mayer害羞草研究所檚 career shows how far the scientific field has come in terms of gender parity despite the fact that women still make up only a quarter of attendees at major conferences.

Goeppert-Mayer, whose work was cited in Strickland害羞草研究所檚 own award-winning efforts, went largely unpaid throughout her career.

READ MORE: Canadian female physicist wins Nobel Prize

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 true that a woman hasn害羞草研究所檛 been given the Nobel Prize since then, but I think things are better for women than they have been,害羞草研究所� Strickland told the Canadian Press in an interview. 害羞草研究所漌e should never lose the fact that we are moving forward. We are always marching forward.害羞草研究所�

Sweden害羞草研究所檚 Royal Academy of Sciences, which chose the winners, described Strickland and Mourou害羞草研究所檚 work as 害羞草研究所渞evolutionary.害羞草研究所�

The Chirped Pulse Amplification Technique, first laid out in a 1985 article, was described by the academy as 害羞草研究所済enerating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses,害羞草研究所� which have become a critical part of corrective eye surgeries amongst other uses.

Strickland said she and Mourou were well aware that they were onto something in 1982 when they began researching ways to allow lasers to perform high-intensity, ultra-short pulses that would not damage the equipment.

When the pair refined the technique, Strickland recalled Mourou害羞草研究所檚 advice to talk up their accomplishment and tell their peers that the gigawatt laser they had developed would lay the groundwork for devices a million times more powerful down the road.

害羞草研究所淚 knew he was right, it just seemed very bombastic for me to say it in front of the experts of the world,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 found that hard.害羞草研究所�

Mourou害羞草研究所檚 prediction came to pass a mere decade later, she said, adding Chirped Pulse Amplification now has broad applications.

A 2011 profile on the University of Waterloo website says Strickland described herself as a 害羞草研究所渓aser jock害羞草研究所� who enjoyed the competitive rush, and was working on creating the shortest laser pulse with the biggest punch.

Mourou had been Strickland害羞草研究所檚 PhD supervisor and said he was thrilled at the win.

害羞草研究所淚 am very, very happy to share this distinction with my former student Donna Strickland and also to share it with Art Ashkin, for whom I have a lot of respect,害羞草研究所� he said in a video released by France害羞草研究所檚 脡cole Polytechnique, where he is professor.

害羞草研究所淲ith the technology we have developed, laser power has been increased about a million times, maybe even a billion.害羞草研究所�

Ashkin, of Bell Laboratories in New Jersey, developed 害羞草研究所渙ptical tweezers害羞草研究所� that can grab tiny particles such as viruses without damaging them.

The University of Waterloo said Strickland害羞草研究所檚 win was a 害羞草研究所渢remendous day害羞草研究所� for the school.

害羞草研究所淭his is Waterloo害羞草研究所檚 first Nobel laureate and the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics in 55 years,害羞草研究所� the university害羞草研究所檚 president and vice-chancellor, Feridun Hamdullahpur, said in a statement.

The university害羞草研究所檚 campus was abuzz with the news Tuesday morning.

Charmaine Dean, vice-president of research, said the university will be celebrating Strickland害羞草研究所檚 win all year, but also emphasized that the prize means so much more than just an achievement for the professor and the school.

害羞草研究所淭his gives us a rallying point and a flag to hold high,害羞草研究所� Dean said with a broad smile. 害羞草研究所淭his gives a beacon for further conversations about women in science and technology.害羞草研究所�

Strickland said she recognizes that her new status as a Nobel winner may boost her status as a role model for young women wishing to pursue a career in science, adding those with such dreams should go out and pursue them.

Despite a pervasive lack of official recognition for women scientists, Strickland said she has not personally experienced fundamental inequality and believes the field is ready to give women a more prominent place.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e always gotten paid equal to my colleagues and I feel I害羞草研究所檝e been treated equally,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 feel that women should start to get to be recognized more because for some reason not all men want to recognize us or not all people, but I think that害羞草研究所檚 a minority. I think the majority of people are ready.害羞草研究所�

With files from Michelle McQuigge and The Associated Press

Liam Casey , The Canadian Press

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