Over the last 50 years, Professor Clarricoats' successes have ranged from pioneering research with Nobel laureate Sir Charles Kao KBE FREng FRS on optical fibre technology, to influential work on the design and development of high-performance microwave antennas for space-borne satellite communications.
Prof Clarricoats was the first person in the UK to explore the behaviour of ferrites at microwave frequencies. His book, Microwave Ferrites (1960), became an essential text for those developing microwave radar and communications systems. Working at the University of Leeds from 1963, he was the first to use computers to design microwave waveguide junctions, a function which exists in many software packages to this day. He also established Electronic Letters, which went on to become an internationally successful journal.
At Queen Mary University of London, Prof Clarricoats developed a theory that confirmed the correct choice of physical attributes in optical fibre before turning his attention to microwave antennas for communication and radar systems. Most ground station reflectors, radio astronomy reflectors and satellite antennas now use corrugated horns of the type first investigated by Prof Clarricoats in the 1970s and '80s.
Prof Clarricoats said: "Since I joined the academic world from industry in 1959, I have been able to start research groups at Queens University Belfast, the University of Leeds and finally at Queen Mary University of London where I have spent the last 47 years. In all three I was greatly helped by outstanding colleagues and from the outset was fortunate to have support from industry, government and the European Space Agency. We had great success in solving many of the problems they posed, often with innovative ideas. My message to academics is to get involved with industry."
