Indian physicist whose 1955 doctoral research in optics led to the development of fiber optics. Originally viewed as either a novelty item or a way to transmit images from place to place, fiber optics subsequently found a myriad of uses, including data transmission and communications. During the 1980s, a number of telecommunications companies installed high-capacity fiber optic communications systems that have since been put to use in data transmission. Fiber optics are also used for imaging, including use as visual guides during surgical procedures.