Benjamin Mollow

Wit now and then, struck smartly, shows a spark.

Benjamin Mollow is a theoretical physicist, known for the eponymous triplet observed in the strong-driving regime of resonance fluorescence. Since this object (the Mollow triplet) is one of the most fascinating quantum-optical systems that we know of—the drosophila of quantum optics as well as a treasure trove of results, such as leapfrog processes—we naturally have much deference for his father, who was the first to derive its spectral shape exactly, in a fight against the Rochester school.

The character also looks very interesting. Comments from his students at UMass Boston also paint a dramatic picture (e.g., "Beware the days he wears his jogging outfit...he tends to wear no shirt underneath and has the zipper halfway down...") His webpage is a model of conciseness (?!) with his triplet as a profile picture. The latter is notoriously difficult to find. The picture displayed above comes from a colorized version from some heritage website (copy) also adding elements to the legend ("Noted for his wrestling").