EDUCATION AND ACTIVITY

MAIN SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS

His research interests include nonlinear dynamics, chaos, control of chaos, synchronization and infrared digital holography. In the early 1980s at the National Institute of Optics (Florence, Italy) he contributed to a pioneer experiment on chaotic behavior in a CO2 laser when a periodic forcing was applied to the cavity loss parameter. In this pioneer experiment, also “generalized multistability” was discovered. Few years later, he contributed to other experiments where chaos in a laser was achieved by using an electro- optic feedback acting on the same time scale of the other two relevant variables. Riccardo Meucci has been active also on control of chaos using both feedback and open loop methods on experiments using lasers and electronic oscillators. In a seminal experiment in 1994, chaos was controlled and redirected on a stable periodic solution by applying small periodic perturbations with a fine adjustment of the relative phase with respect to a main forcing responsible for chaos. This open-loop method for chaos control is today known as “phase control of chaos“.

Another field of investigation by Riccardo Meucci is Digital Holography in the mid infrared region, using CO2 lasers. Extension of this coherent technique to the infrared region, has several advantages over the visible spectral range, allowing vision through smoke and flames and monitoring intrinsic vibrations of buildings or infrastructures.

Education

13/03/1987
Graduate School in Optics (PhD) from University of Firenze, with evaluation note 70/70 cum laude.

20/12/1982
Degree in Physics from University of Firenze, with evaluation note 110/110.

PRESENT POSITION

Emeritus Researcher of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) at the National Institute of Optics (INO-CNR) from 03/10/2024, nominated by the President of the Italian National Research Council.

Senior Associate at Istituto Nazionale di Ottica of the Italian National Research Council (INO-CNR), Firenze, Italy from 01/04/2023 to 02/10/2024

Research Director at Istituto Nazionale di Ottica of the Italian National Research Council (INO-CNR), Firenze, Italy.

Contract Professor of Physical Optics and Mathematical Methods for Optics at University of Firenze, Italy.

National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor (Matter Experimental Physics), 26/07/2018 - 26/07/2029.

Associated Editor for the International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos (IJBC) from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2023.

Associated Editor for Nonlinear Engineering (Luigi Fortuna, Editor)

Associated Editor of Frontiers in Physics, Interdisciplinary Physics (Alex Hansen, Editor)

IEEE Senior Member since 17 November 2018 and OSA member

CURRICULAR ACTIVITY

Emeritus Researcher of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) at the National Institute of Optics (INO-CNR) from 03/10/2024, nominated by the President of the Italian National Research Council.

01/04/2023 to 02/10/2024
Senior Associate at Istituto Nazionale di Ottica of the Italian National Research Council (INO-CNR), Firenze, Italy.

31/12/2001 - 31/03/2023
Research Director at INO – CNR [former CNR-INOA and INOA (Istituto Nazionale di Ottica Applicata)].

28/10/1994 - 05/10/2001
Responsible of the INOA Section in Naples.

01/11/1990 - 31/08/1994
Responsible of the Research Unit 1 (Quantum Optics) at INOA.

01/07/1992 - 31/12/2001
Senior researcher at INOA.

01/02/1987 - 01/07/1992
Researcher in Optics at Istituto Nazionale di Ottica (INO), later transformed into INOA.

01/03/1984 - 01/02/1987
Researcher in Optics at Istituto di Cibernetica of the Italian National Research Council - Naples

DIDACTIC ACTIVITY

1999 - present
Contract Professor of Physical Optics and Mathematical Methods for Optics at the University of Firenze.

Prizes and honours

Knight of Merit of the Italian Republic (27 December, 2023)

PATENTS